Perfect Oven Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is a good thing but here is a way to do it that is healthier and fool proof. I almost never did it, partly because the chicken sometimes wouldn't cook all the way through leaving it kind of raw in the middle. After reading through some recipes I found a solution that makes oven fried chicken super easy.

The trick is to boil the chicken in low-fat or fat-free milk (or even lactose free milk), leaving it moist and completely cooked through before you bread and oven fry it. If you are lactose intolerant, it's still possible to eat dairy foods, the key is to learn what works best for you.

The end result is delicious, soft and moist on the inside and perfectly crisp on the outside.

We had my mother-in-law and two sister-in-laws and kids over for Sunday dinner so this is kind of a big recipe but feel free to adjust accordingly.

We served it with oven potatoes and large salad.

Perfect Oven Fried Chicken
Feeds about 6-8 people

4lbs chicken drum sticks with the skin on (about 16-20 drumsticks)
3-4 cups milk (low-fat, fat-free, or lactose free)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (or garlic or onion salt or some combination of the two)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (you can substitute dry herbs but will only use only 2 teaspoons of dried herbs)
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
2 tablespoons thyme

2 eggs
1/4 cup water

1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

cooking spray

1. Put chicken and milk is a large pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
2. Remove chicken is strainer and allow to fully dry.
3. Mix together the flour, salts, pepper, and fresh herbs. (Feel free to substitute or play with different herb combinations. These just happen to be the herbs that are growing on our back porch these days.)
5. In a separate bowl or shallow dish, mix together the two eggs and water.
6. In a third bowl, mix the bread crumbs together with the Parmesan cheese.
7. Pass each chicken drum stick in the flour mixture, then the eggs mixture, and then the bread crumb mixture.This breads the chicken and makes the nice crispy outside layer.
8. Spray the outside of the chicken with cooking spray, place on a baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 30 minutes rotating chicken after 15 minutes.

This post was written while participating in my partnership with the National Dairy Council, and as always my opinions are my own.

Reusing Popsicle Sticks

If I had kept every stick for every popsicle I ate in Brazil I would be able to do all of the crafts on this round-up times twenty! That first-trimester when Eliza was growing in my belly was a doozy. I don't buy popsicles all that much here because we have our Zoku quick pop maker. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Exhibit C. But you know, when we're out and about or, when we're in Sacramento visiting great-grandma Mimi and auntie Karen (auntie Karen buys the best popsicles), we never pass up on the opportunity to eat my favorite frozen treat.

If you have been saving popsicle sticks you're in luck. If you haven't you still have time. Summer is not over yet, not by a long shot, so get yourself an ice pop (saying this with a British accent) and then get your Martha Stewart on and start crafting. 

1. Bow and Arrow 2. Magnets 3. Gift Tag 4. Summer Boredom Buster 5. Clock 6. Making Math Fun 7. Washi Tape Wooden Bracelets

How to Make Your Own Baby Formula

It took some serious pain, several trips to my doctor, even more trips to the lactation consultant, culminated by a trip to the urgent care where I found myself dehydrated and with mastitis, to finally give in and decide to supplement Eliza's diet with formula.

7 months after Eliza was born I started having major nursing complications and at 8 months finally allowed myself to chilax and started supplementing with formula. Now at 9 months she is no longer breastfeeding and drinks homemade formula and also eats solids (whatever we're having, I don't make baby food).

My purpose with this post is two fold; first provide a homemade infant formula recipe that I trust in case you want an alternative to store bought formula, and second I want to leave the lines of communication open to any mom or dad who is feeling guilty or upset about giving their kids formula. I am not going to give you all the reasons why breast milk is best because I think that is a given. I am also not going to tell you why store bought formula is bad because I am not a scientist or a doctor. Another thing I don't want to do with this post is expose myself and justify why I no longer breastfeed. If you're having nursing problems and you want to chat, or if you genuinely want to know what I have been through these last couple of months shoot me an email, I'll be happy to have a conversation.

I did a lot of online research, consulted with a  holistic nutritionist, and have made several different recipes. This is the one I'm using for Eliza and I am happy with it. This is not the most complete infant formula but since she also eats solids I feel like this is good and has the nutrients she needs at this age. If your baby is younger than 6 months I would recommend using the Weston A. Price Foundation Recipe. That is the one that was recommended to me by a nutritionist and also a lactation consultant. My recipe is a variation of that recipe with a few added ingredients.

Homemade Infant Formula
Makes 36 Ounces | 5-10 minutes to prepare | Refrigerate for 24 hours

2 cups goat milk
1 cup carrot juice
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp blackstrap molases
1 tsp infant probiotics
1 tsp amla powder
2 tablespoons liquid whey
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp nutritional yeast

Pour the goat milk, carrot juice, and water into a glass jar. Add the other ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Then close the lid on the jar and shake until all of the ingredients are combined. You can also use a blender. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

And here is why

2 cups goat milk
The protein composition of goat milk more closely resembles that of breast milk. Some people use raw cow's milk and some people use raw goat's milk. For convenience I use pasteurized goat's milk, which I found at Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.

1 cup carrot juice
For carbohydrate, important for brain development.

1 cup water
Since she is still young she needs the goat milk to be watered down otherwise it could be hard on her kidneys.

1 tsp blackstrap molases
Iron.

1 tsp infant probiotics
Helps with digestion.

1 tsp amla powder
Vitamin C. You can substitute for acerola powder. Found it in my health food store.

2 tablespoons liquid whey
I just scoop up the liquid from the yogurt I buy or make for the rest of the family (sugar free yogurt).

1 tsp sunflower oil
Vitamin E.

1 tsp olive oil
Monosaturated fats.

1 tsp coconut oil
Contains lauric acid which is both antiviral and anti-fungal.

1 tsp nutritional yeast
B Vitamins.

The oils are super important but hard to work with. Make sure you buy good quality unrefined extra-virgin oils. Melt the coconut oil before you use it otherwise it will stay solid and will not go through the bottle nipple. I always warm up her formula. If I'm rushed I'll do it in the microwave in a glass cup. Then I'll strain it using a tea strainer. The tea strainer removes any lumps or solid from the oils. If I don't do this her bottle nipple gets clogged every single time.

I measure the milk in the bottle, then transfer it to a glass cup. Microwave for 30 seconds and then transfer it back to the bottle and put the tea strainer in the cup and pour the milk in to the cup, remove any lumps, and then back in the bottle it goes.

This formula does not contain RHA or DHA. Some people add flax oil that has DHA. I had a hard time finding any flax oil with DHA so I give her some of this multi-grain cereal in the morning with plain yogurt.

There's something extremely empowering and satisfying with breastfeeding. Your baby grows and thrives from nutrients that your body makes.I have breastfed all three of my children and even though getting up in the middle of the night to nurse can be rough I wouldn't trade it. Not being able to breastfeed was really hard for me. I felt like I had failed and that my baby was not going to get the healthy start she needed and deserved. I tried giving her store bought formula but was overwhelmed trying to figure out all of the different ingredients. I didn't like that the first ingredient on most of the cans was fructose corn syrup and I especially didn't like that there were a bunch of other ingredients that I had no idea what they were. Feeding Eliza formula that I make at home has given me an incredible peace of mind. She is continuing to grow and thrive, that's all I really care about.

I wanted to share this recipe because a lot of people have asked me about it. Before making any changes to your child's diet I would consult with a health care professional that you trust.

This recipe is my contribution to World Breastfeeding Week. I know it sounds ironic but  having this formula allowed me to continue breastfeeding for 2 extra months, until my body just couldn't do it any more. Knowing that I could supplement with formula that I trusted made it so that the one time a day where I was able to breastfeed was peaceful and also very special. I think kids should be breastfed for as long as possible, which may mean 2 years, 1 year, or just a couple of months. I have always been good at being supportive to my friends who have had breastfeeding issues and yet it was so hard for me to be nice to myself. I hope you are nice to yourself. Guilt is really unproductive. For all the mamas out there who for some reason or another have not been able to breastfeed I hope this post helps you in one way or another,

xoxo, Da