Product Review: AppleCheeks Diapers

Update: my daughter is now 3 months and about 17 pounds. We switched to size 2 diapers a few weeks ago after experiencing leaks with size 1 as a rise issue and there have been no leaks since.

I tried a handful of diaper combos out and my favourite for this girl has definitely been AppleCheeks. They don't leak and come clean when I wash them. I use the 2 ply bamboo inserts along with the purple stay-dry bamboo booster. I use Nature Clean All Purpose Cleaning Lotion to wash them in. I do a cold rinse, followed by a hot wash with a tiny bit of soap, followed by another cold rinse.

I actually only have 4 covers right now and probably around 12 inserts. This works out perfectly because I wash every other day (this is just when my small washer happens to have the right amount of diapers in it). So I use only about 2 covers every day and change the inserts. I do not use cloth at night because 7th Generation disposables just work better for us than having the hassle of changing baby in the middle of the night.

My daughter has never had a diaper rash (knock on wood) and we've never used any creams or powders on her. I love using cloth diapers, but as I like to travel light, I don't use them when I'm out and about. I just let her wear the cloth diaper she has on and bring disposables for if she needs a change.

I am absolutely loving the fact that AppleCheeks has been doing all of this work releasing special edition diapers and new colours. It adds an element of fun and fashion, not just butt covers.

 As a side note, if you buy these at Baby On The Hip in Leslieville with your Toronto Live Green card, you get 10% off and these diapers don't seem to go on sale. For convenience (but higher prices), well.ca is also carrying them now.

Product Review: Olliffe Butcher Shop Leslieville Bone-in Ribeye

While exploring a little bit of Leslieville this Sunday, we made the last minute decision to check out Olliffe Butcher Shop before catching our streetcar back west of the Don Valley. I went in and announced to the butcher that I never cook steak because all I have is a cast iron pan and no grill and stood there, challenging him to sell me on some meat. I told him that the biggest reason I don't even try is because I don't want to spend good money on meat that I can't cook to its full potential.

This guy was very charismatic and told us about a time when he thought that way. Then he said that ribeye was a great steak to cook in a pan and that a chef he once knew in a fancy-pants restaurant actually said a cast iron pan was the preferred method of cooking bone-in ribeye. He walked me through exactly how to cook it:

1. Heat a cast iron pan up for about 20 minutes on medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Sear the steak on both sides after the pan has heated up.

3. In a separate vessel, place the steak in the oven for 15-20 minutes per pound.

4. Cut the bone off to check how done it is and then let it rest for 10 minutes. 

I cooked my 1.8 pound bone-in ribeye for about 32 minutes and then cut the bone off. It was cooked about medium. I wish I had checked it earlier, but my initial fears that I had overcooked it were unfounded. The flavour was phenomenal and the texture was soft and wonderful. Nothing like any steak I've ever cooked at home before.

I paired the steak with seared zucchini and mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes. What a beautiful Sunday night dinner.