Monster Pants Cloth Diapers

I frequently ask what’s for dinner on the Monster Pants Facebook page. I love hearing what other people are doing in their kitchens. Here is what is happening in my kitchen, with the recipe, in case it needs to happen in your kitchen someday too.

Slow Cooker Chili

• 1 pound ground beef (optional)
• 2 (15-oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed or 2 cups dry kidney beans, soaked and cooked
• 4 (14.5-oz) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a medium skillet, cook the beef until no longer pink. Drain. Add to the slow cooker.

Puree two of the cans of stewed tomatoes in a blender. Puree all 4 cans for a less chunky chili, or none of them for a very chunky chili.

Place kidney beans, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, red wine vinegar, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce in the slow cooker. Mix.

Cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Variations:

• Add a can (or about a cup dry, soaked, and cooked) white beans.
• Add 2 cups water to the slow cooker. About 30 minutes before serving, add 2 cups of raw macaroni.
• Add 1/2 – 1 cup red wine to complement the red wine vinegar and add a deeper flavor to the finished chili.
• Chili is a canvas for endless variety. Experiment!

This is  a favorite in my house, especially served with warm corn bread or crusty French bread.

It’s March! Time to give away a little something. Throughout February, a free Sherpa wipe was included in your orders. To conclude the Sherpa wipe freebies, the winner of this month’s blog giveaway will receive a 6-pack of Sherpa wipes! To enter, simply answer the question below in the comments of this post. The drawing for the winner will take place March 13, one week from today.

Are you a by-the-recipe cook, a by-the-seat-of-your-pants cook, a by-the-box cook, or no cook at all?

Monster Pants has two new products lined up for you! All-in-2 diapers can be ordered from their product page here. Sherpa wipes can be found under Diaper Accessories over here.

What’s the scoop on AI2′s? The most common praise I hear for AI2 diapers is that they reduce laundry since it is only the insert going in the diaper pail at each change. AI2′s also reduce wear and tear on your PUL covers since they aren’t being washed as frequently as a pocket or all-in-one. The PUL shell operates essentially like a PUL cover, except that it is fully lined with suedecloth to be soft all over. Though you could certainly use an AI2 shell with a fitted diaper, flat, or prefold. Just because there is a snap for inserts doesn’t mean you have to use it! The inserts in Monster Pants AI2′s snap in the front. I have found this helps keep the insert in place better than a snap in the back of the diaper. The inserts are a long snake of your choice between cotton, bamboo, or hemp. Snap the insert in, fold it on itself, and snap the diaper on your monster before he runs away for that much-sought-after naked time!

The other new product is Sherpa wipes. I love these. I only have a dozen made for my own stash and it is not enough. Making myself another dozen is on my list of things to do. But I have to make a few for customers first! The wipes are double-sided. Sherpa fleece is plush and  grabby. Great for cleaning up messes. I found myself looking forward to a dirty diaper today so I could use one of the new wipes. That is worth repeating: These wipes made me look forward to changing a dirty diaper. The other side is a hemp and bamboo blend jersey knit. Soft and pliable like your favorite T-shirt. Perfect for finishing up that wipe job and for drying the diaper area before putting on a fresh diaper. Want to try them? Get one free wipe in all February orders over $10!

Finally, let’s wrap up February’s blog giveaway. Mira is the winner of the AI2 snap-in insert! Congrats, Mira! Happy diapering with your new insert!

Which new item is most appealing to you and why: AI2 diapers or the new wipes?