Lil Bums Cloth Diaper Review/Giveaway

Over my nearly 2 years of cloth diapering, I have definitely found a preference in family owned, small businesses, rather than the hype of overpriced name brands. I'm very happy to introduce you to the newest addition to my list – Lil Bums Cloth Diapers which is run by husband and wife duo, Dimitri and Shannon.

One of my favorite unique traits about this company is that every diaper is a snuggle worthy minky fabric on the outside. Most companies I've come across have a small selection of minkies, but Lil Bums is nothing but!

I also enjoy the simplicity of their brand. They don't sell a million different styles, in a slew of sizes or variations. They sell One size fits all (8 to 35 lbs) minky cloth diapers, available in many adorable prints and colors. I feel like that really allows them to focus and perfect the diaper.

Every Lil Bums diaper purchase includes not one, but two of the best inserts I've ever used. I'm pretty partial to charcoal bamboo generally, and all but hate microfiber – but they may have converted me on the matter! One of the inserts is microfiber, the other is organically grown bamboo cotton, and both are fantastic.

The microfiber insert was unlike any microfiber I have felt previously. I suppose quality makes all the difference! It was so soft. This insert is great for stuffing in the pocket. Microfiber is very absorbent and can actually dry out baby's skin, so it's important to remember to only use this inside of a pocket.

The other insert provided was possibly the softest thing I've ever touched. I clearly need more bamboo cotton in my life! This can be stuffed into a pocket, but also has the ability to lay directly touching baby's skin!

Lil Bums sent me out a diaper and I couldn't wait to see what print they had selected for me. I was pleasantly surprised to see it was their super cute arrows diaper. I would have been happy with any from their selection, though!

When it arrived, we were beginning the process of stripping our stash so it was still a few days before we could try it out, and I found myself picking it up often and just touching it or even rubbing it on my face. I couldn't believe how fluffy it was!

After a single wash to get rid of any 'factory' funk I was excited to put it on her!  It should be noted that inserts don't reach their full absorbency until after ten washes so my experience so far has been with it in its earlier stages.

Between the wonderful moisture wicking, absorbent liners, the double (inside and outside) elastic around pocket opening, and the leg elastic we haven't had a single leak using this diaper, even overnight.

The fit is wonderful. I'm so happy there is still room to grow and we will get lots of use out of this diaper. Furthermore I'm happy to report that I am stunned by how soft it all remains even after being washed numerous times!

Each Lil Bums diaper, with both inserts, costs only $12.99! That is jaw dropping to me. They are worth much more in my opinion and its very clear how much they care about their customers.

Aside from the single diapers they sell, you can also purchase a few other products on their website.

They have three levels of 'starter kit' sets. Each kit comes with either 6, 12 or 18 cloth diapers with microfiber inserts and bamboo cotton inserts, a travel size wetbag, a large hamper size wetbag, and their Lil Bums Guide to Successful Cloth Diapering downloadable Ebook! Each of those items are also available for purchase individually as well.

The Starter kits range from $109.99-$219.99, saving you up to 20%. I honestly think it is a wonderful deal, and although I'm not starting out exactly, I AM just learning of Lil Bums and thinking of purchasing a bundle. Each set is available in three print options - boy, girl or neutral.

I've actually heard people say they stay away from companies that have such amazing prices because they assume it means they are cheaply made. I truly feel that those people are missing out! Lil Bums puts a lot of love into what they do and it shines through in their products.

Try them out for yourself, you won't be disappointed! Keep in mind that if you sign up for their newsletter, you'll receive a 10% off code!

If all that's not generous enough, get this!  Lil Bums is offering one of our readers (world wide!) $50 to spend on anything in stock on their website!  Read on to see how how you can enter to win!

http://www.lilbumsclothdiapers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Lil-Bums-Cloth-Diapers-684243311635667/
https://twitter.com/LilBumsDiapers
https://www.instagram.com/lilbumsclothdiapers/
https://www.pinterest.com/lilbumsdiapers/

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE and will end just before midnight ET on 7/20. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winners have responded and confirmed, their first names will be posted on our Giveaways  page.

Good luck!

Entry-Form

Restaurant Style Hamburgers That Don't Shrink

What's one of your favorite summer pastimes? Most Americans will answer cook outs or barbecues. What is the number one food served at these types of gatherings? Some would argue hotdogs, some ribs, and some chicken but I feel it would most certainly be hamburgers.

I'm not talking about those pre-made patties you buy from the freezer section at the grocery store either. I mean restaurant quality burgers straight from your back yard (or kitchen for that matter).

I have been cooking for a quite a few years. When I was younger, I used to shadow my Grandmother in the kitchen while she baked wedding cakes and many other extravagant desserts. She was a fantastic baker.

The only other thing she did better was cook meat. All kinds of meat: steaks, burgers, roast, ribs, tenderloin... you name it she could cook the crap out of it.

I always loved getting my hands dirty when she would make hamburgers. After a good hand washing I got to stick my hands in the raw ground beef and squish it until all the spices were mixed together. I had so much fun with it.

Though the burgers that Grandmother used to make tasted great, they were always tiny. They came out very small and very dense. I could never understand why something that she put so much time and love into would come out tasting great but feeling like cement. Well here I am, 20 years later, to share a recipe with you that has taken me 20 years to get it right.

These burgers don't shrink much, and taste even better than they look. Because we are in a small apartment in Germany for the time being, I had to put everything together in my kitchen (no grill) but they still taste better than ever.

Restaurant Style Hamburgers That Don't Shrink

Ingredients
2 lbs     Ground Sirloin (Yea, it's more expensive, but sooooo worth the end result!!!!)
2 Tbsp  Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp  Teriyaki Marinade (The one with the sesame seeds in the bottle)
2 Tbsp  Soy Sauce (Any will do)
4 tsp     Liquid Smoke (Hickory. You can instead use smoke chips on your grill if you have any)
Salt and Pepper
Whatever toppings you like (Lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, mustard...etc.

First off, you may notice that I don't use egg in my burgers. That's because of my choice of meat. Ground sirloin is a balanced ratio of fat to lean meat, so you don't really need anything extra to stick it together.

Let's start by preparing the patties. This is easily the most important part of the process as this will ensure the proper texture and density, while also evenly distributing your other ingredients throughout the meat.

Set your meat out the night before to thaw. Prepare your patties just 30 minutes or so before you are ready to cook. Start by emptying the ground beef into a mixing bowl. Add the Worcestershire Sauce, Teriyaki Marinade, Soy Sauce and liquid smoke to the bowl.

To spice it up you can also chop up a few habaneros and throw them into the bowl as well. (If you do so you may want to wear rubber gloves while you chop the peppers and mix the meat. Some people can have topical reactions to capsaicin. And if you happen to touch any other part of your body such as your eyes you will certainly regret it.)

Once you have added all the listed ingredients, you can now mix the meat.

At this point you need to understand that less is more. You want to mix the meat just enough to distribute the other ingredients and then stop. Continuing to mix the meat will cause a very dense texture. You want your meat to maintain as much as possible of its ground texture. The thicker the grind the better.

Once you have your meat mixed, it's time to make the patties. Lay out some wax paper on a tray. I often use a large serving plate and will do multiple layers of patties with a layer of wax paper between each. We are going to shoot for 1/4 pound burgers. You should get roughly 8 patties from 2 pounds of ground beef.

Pinch off enough of the meat mixture to make approximately 1/4 pound patties. You can make 8 balls of meat to ensure that each patty is close to the same size. I roll the meat between my hands to form a rough ball shape. Then I toss them back and forth between my hands to start to form the patty. Then holding the meat in one palm I use my other palm to shape it the rest of the way. I like to keep my patties within the size limits of whatever bun I am using at the time. But you want to keep them fairly thick.

Once you have a layer of patties laid out on your wax paper, it's time to add the salt and pepper. I use a sea salt and black pepper grinder for the freshest flavor possible taste. Grind up your salt and pepper and dust the tops of your patties. Lightly press your fingers across the tops of each patty to set the spices into the meat. Then turn them and repeat.

Now comes the trick. Using you thumb, press into the center of each patty to create a divot. This divot will stop the patties from shrinking as the cook. This eliminates the need to press the patties with a spatula and keeps those delicious juices locked inside.

Once all the patties are shaped, set your tray aside to give the meat time to settle.

If you're grilling, now is the time to get your fire going properly.  As I mentioned, we don't currently have the means to grill, so I'll be explaining how to pan fry the burgers.

Preheat your pan over medium to medium high heat (it depends on your stove and the pan you are using). While the pan is preheating you can add just a touch of olive oil to keep the first few burgers from sticking. After the first few cook, there will be enough juice in the pan to keep it going.

As your pan is heating, you can use this time to prepare your toppings. I like thinly sliced tomato, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, and mayo on mine, but set out a variety for those eating to select from.

Once your pan is hot, throw a few burgers in and cook them for 4 -7 minutes per side for a medium burger. The time will vary depending mostly on the thickness of your patties and the type of pan you are using. You may also want to cook them a little longer if your like your burgers well done. I like mine to be a little pink in the middle.

What you are looking for is to sear the outside of the patties to lock in the juices. So you want to only turn them once. Let the meat sit in the pan until the the sides of the patty are completely brown and then turn it.

One of the most important things to remember at this point is to NOT press the patties with the spatula. By making the divot in the center of the patties you stop them from shrinking. So the only thing you are doing by pressing the patties is squishing out all the juices and ruining the density and texture. You want those juices locked in. Trust me.

Once your burgers have finished cooking, move them to a plate to rest. At this point you can throw your cheese on top while they are still hot. This will melt the cheese without over-cooking your burgers. Once they have had about 5 minutes to rest its time to serve!

I hope you have as much fun cooking as I do. It's one of my favorite things in the world!

And feel free to add your own twists to my recipe. That's how cooking masterpieces are made. These burgers have a salty, smokey flavor with mildly sweet undertones. They are absolutely amazing with some hot peppers diced up into the meat. You could also add bacon pieces. Get creative!

Try whatever you can come up with. Share your results and let me know how I could improve my recipe. Its taken me a long time to get them right. But I am certain they could always be better. So, while we are enjoying the heat of summer, fire up your grill, crack open some cold ones, and enjoy some fantastic food with family and friends.

CHEERS!!

Party in your PJs! #113

Welcome to Party in Your PJs!

Happy Tuesday!  Welcome to the Party in Your PJs Link Party, where your posts will be seen on four different blogs each week.   In addition to Kim from The Cookie Puzzle, you'll also find Party in Your PJs every Tuesday evening at Grandma Ideas, Wood of Bell Trees and... here!

You'll still find the Awesome Life Friday link up here at RCHReviews, every Thursday evening at 8pm ET so we hope to see you there as well.

Are you ready to party? I can't wait to see what you've brought to share!

Kim ~ The Cookie Puzzle | Facebook | Pinterest 
Nina ~ Grandma Ideas | Pinterest | Twitter
Lynda ~ Reviews, Chews & How-Tos | Facebook | Pinterest
Heather ~ Woods of Bell Trees | Facebook | Instagram

 Meet the Co-Hosts

Kim @ The Cookie Puzzle 

Kim is a small town girl who love simple things. Simple cookies, simple crafts and simple people. She is a wife, mother to one son and two adorable fur babies. Slightly addicted to reality TV and sitcoms, but she loves curling up with a good book or a good walk while listening to podcasts. You can find her at The Cookie Puzzle, where she shares her love for cookies and crafting. 

Nina @ Grandma Ideas 

How is this: Nina is wildly in love with her grandchildren. She delights in doing activities with them that strengthen their relationship –- playing games, doing crafts, snuggling, reading stories to them, and cooking together. She enjoys reading, technology, and traveling. (Tahiti is her most favorite place on earth!)

Lynda @ Reviews, Chews & How-Tos 

Lynda lives outside DC with her husband Michael and elderly beagle, Sadie. She and her daughter Jackie started RCHReviews as a way to spend time together in spite of living across country, and along the way they've added several friends as regular contributors. Between them all, they bring together many different perspectives and lifestyles with one common philosophy - try new things, have fun, and remember you are awesome!

 Heather @ Wood of Bell Trees

Heather is a wife of a peanut butter fanatic and mom of one silly human and one furry canine, wrangling life on 2nd shift and glitterizing everything as she goes!

Follow The Cookie Puzzle's board Party in Your PJs Link Party on Pinterest.

The rules for the group board include:

1. Limit of one pin a day.

2. Just like the party anything goes, but clear wonderful pictures with great descriptions are most successful.

3. Please no Spam ( Spammers will be deleted without warning)
4.  If you pin to the Pinterest Board, please link to the Party in Your PJs Party also, the party runs from 7 pm Tuesdays-Midnight Saturday (Central Time)

5.  Finally have fun and share this group board  with blog friends and followers!  The more success the group board is the more success you will see from your pins.

Want to be added to the group board?  Follow our Party in Your PJs board and email Kim at thecookiepuzzle@gmail.com

Features from Last Weeks Party!

I hope everyone who celebrates had a great 4th of July!  Unfortunately, I managed to get sick, and so there won't be any features this week - be sure to check out the other hosts, though, and I'll share Features again next week.

Make sure you head over to the other member of Party in Your PJs

 to see their features - we each pick our own!

Were you Featured? Grab a button!

All links are pinned to a Party Board...you can follow the board on Pinterest...feel free to follow the board, there is lots of inspiration to be found there.

Ok...let's party!

Rules
-Link to post, not your home page
-Link to something YOU made, wrote or thought
-No Etsy or Business Pages
-Link Parties, Roundups and Giveaways welcome
- Don't Link and Run! Please visit other links, make friends, learn something new, leave a comment, we all love comments
-If you were featured, grab a"Featured" button, found below.
-Consider adding our Party button to your Party Page or Post.

An InLinkz Link-up