The Best Cinnamon Rolls in the History of Ever

Okay, that title may be exaggerating a little. But these rolls are pretty good, if I do say so myself.
This is my recipe for delish cinnamon rolls, and they're pretty awesome.

This post is mostly for my friend "Zarolyn" over at The Zitchen, who has been begging me for this recipe for months! Okay, not really. It was a passing comment in a conversation we had while on a walk with our rascally little ones (hers was asleep the whole time, that party animal). When I told her I don't use a recipe for this, really, she told me I should write it down anyway.

So I figured, I may as well, for posterity's sake, you know? I don't want to be on my deathbed and have my children and grandchildren weeping beside me because I never gave them the recipe for my cinnamon rolls. And that would be a shame. So, I made them and actually paid attention to what I was doing, and measured the goodness out and stuff. Because I'm cool and caring like that. For my posterity.

So without further adieu, here's the recipe:

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
2 1/2 tsp (active dry) yeast
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
5-7 cups bread flour, white or wheat will work, too (can use more if needed)
1 tbsp shortening

Dough Directions:

Place the yeast and 1/2 tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Pour the warm water (see yeast package for recommended temperature) over the yeast mixture and let sit for 15-20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly (the foamier, the better!).
Combine melted butter, sugar, evaporated milk, and salt into a large mixing bowl. When yeast mixture is ready, add to the bowl and mix well.
If you're using a stand mixer use a bread hook. If mixing by hand, make sure to kneed well. Add 3 cups of flour to wet ingredients and mix. Then, add 1 cup of flour at a time until dough is no longer sticking to the bowl and doesn't stick to your fingers.
Cover ball of dough and sides of bowl with shortening, cover the bowl with a warm towel. Set in a warm place and allow to rise until it is higher than the edges of the bowl (or doubled in size, if bowl is very large, takes approximately 1 1/2-2 hours). When risen, punch the dough down and place on a floured surface.
Kneed the dough for 2-3 minutes. Cut dough into two pieces and roll into a rectangle approximately 1/4"-1/2" thick, depending on your preference.

Filling Ingredients:

1 stick butter, very soft
2 cups brown sugar
2-4 tbsp ground cinnamon, to taste

Filling Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon until fully mixed. It doesn't matter if there are chunks.
Spread 1/2 stick butter on one dough rectangle, covering the entire surface.

Spread 1/2 the sugar-cinnamon mixture on the dough, it should be a relatively thick layer.

Start at one end of the rectangle and roll, tucking the roll tightly under as you go. When you get to the end, pinch the seam against the roll so it seals.

It should look something like this:

Using both hands, gently stretch the roll out.

Using a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut slices about 3/4-1" thick. Or you can do the same using string or floss. Discard the ends (I discarded the end on the right, but kept the left because it was big enough to make a roll).

Place rolls in a greased dish and cover with a greased sheet of plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 mins-1 hour, until doubled in size (may take longer depending on temperature of kitchen. I usually heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn it off and allow the rolls to rise in the warm oven). 

When fully risen, remove plastic wrap and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. 

While rolls are baking, mix the icing. You want to apply the icing while the rolls are warm, so the icing seeps into the rolls in a layer of heavenly deliciousness. 

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients*:

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (8 tbsp) butter, softened

2-3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt.

Icing Directions:

Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, salt, and confectioner's sugar, adding in the confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency and flavor is reached. 

*I usually double this because I'm a wee piggy and love cream cheese icing, especially on cinnamon rolls!

There are probably easier recipes out there, but mine's the best. Probably. Maybe. You be the judge. 

But, it has pictures, and you just can't beat that!

Enjoy, with love!

Scrumptious Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's been quite some time since I posted a recipe of sorts. But I promise, I have been trying new recipes!

I've been craving comfort foods lately. Bad. It's sad, really, what chronic sleep deprivation and listening to constant whining will do to you...

So the other night, at like 10 PM, I made these cupcakes. Goodness, so delish.

My husband thought so, too. He ate three in less than 20 minutes, and this after constant comments about how he wasn't in a "sweets" mood, and how much he didn't want to taste-test the batter or the frosting. Yeah, right. 

I used a slightly adapted version of this recipe from Add A Pinch for the cupcakes, and my own frosting recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (can use regular dairy milk)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup egg whites, or 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup boiling water

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 oz cream cheese, softened**
• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.
2. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.
3. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk through to combine.
4. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
5. Evenly distribute cake batter. Each cupcake liner should be about ¾ths full.
6. Place in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
8. While cupcakes are cooling, beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup confectioner's sugar until well mixed. 1 cup at a time, add remaining confectioner's sugar until desired consistency and sweetness is reached. Mix until smooth and stiff. 

**The trick is to make sure the cream cheese is soft, but still firm. Mixing it too warm or too cold will result in thin or chunky icing, which is not great for holding its shape, and doesn't taste all that great, either.

These puppies are moist for days after baking. So moist. So good. 

Remember, chocolate comes from the cocoa bean, and beans are legumes, which are healthy for you. Right? 

Eh, even if it's not great for your body, these sure do wonders for your soul!

Happy eatings!

Hey, y'all. It's been a while, hasn't it? For the record, I don't say "y'all" in real life, but boy, is it fun to type!
Life has been crazy, and not even the good kind. It's the emotional-roller-coaster, no-sleep, fuzzy-brained, chaotic-mess kinda crazy. I won't delve into the boring details, but this year been a pain in the arse so far. It could be worse, I know. I have many friends and family members who have had the ground ripped out from under their feet in these first two months of the year. I hurt for them, and they are constantly in my thoughts. But so far, for my little family, 2014 has kept us on our toes.
Anyway, with all this craziness and my resulting laziness (hah, I rhymed), it has been difficult to find the time to write, let alone think of anything  to write about. But the other day I was driving home from a visit to my family's house and I had a thought. Thank you, literary gods.
I recently had my hair done, and it's a pretty drastic change from my previous 'do. I had sent a picture of it to my husband, who had replied and said (a few different times) how much he loved it, really. He grinned ear to ear when he finally saw it in person. I had a few people close to me offer comments along the lines of: "Well, he's being awfully sweet about it. What did he do wrong that he's trying to kiss up for?"
An innocent comment, and one probably intended to be humorous. But this isn't the first time I've heard of and received comments like this, and I'll admit, I'm guilty of uttering them myself:
"Your boyfriend did the dishes? What did he do wrong?"
"Your husband brought you flowers, supposedly on a whim? What's he trying to kiss up for?"
"Your "significant other" did/said [something sweet, fill in the blank]? Something's up."
These comments are annoying to me for a few reasons. For one, my partner is not my child. I am not his mother. I am not his jailer. I am his partner, his wife. He should not have to "kiss up" to be able to do what he wants, or do a domestic task in order to apologize for a mistake. I do not control him. I do not preside over him in our home, and he should not feel like he has to come crawling on hands and knees to apologize for forgetting Valentine's Day (seriously, I forgot it, too). Yes, I appreciate when he does the dishes, but why shouldn't he clean? He lives here, too, and contributes just as much to the mess as I do.
But most of all, ladies and gents, I spy a double standard here.
What double standard, you ask? I'll counter that with another question. The last time you watched a chick flick or novel and swooned over the male lead, did you automatically question every sweet, romantic thing he did as having an ulterior motive? Probably not. If so, girl, you've got trust issues (don't worry, I've been there). If you sat there and thought how romantic that man was, and wondered why men aren't like that in "real life," well, here's your answer.
They do try. They really do, even after the dating and honeymoon phases, they do try. But those innocent, sweet actions meant to make our day better are often met with scepticism and criticism (either by us, our friends, our families, random strangers in the checkout line at the store, it doesn't matter...it's there). The men in our lives want  to appreciate us, and they want to show it. For some it's a gift, a thoughtful message, a date, a spontaneous kiss or hug, flowers, doing a chore he wouldn't normally do, a small comment, or a sincere "I love you." Each person has his own way of showing how much he cares and appreciates us, whether we see it or not. Anyway, that's kind of off topic.
If we're constantly wondering, "why aren't guys that romantic in real life?" and then turning around and questioning a man's actions and suspecting an ulterior motive, well, that must be extremely confusing and disheartening for our male counterparts. Would you continue complimenting a friend on her new outfit if she kept asking you what you were trying to kiss up for? Probably not.
I get it, some men are kings of douchebaggery. I've met many of those types in my life, so I completely understand where the scepticism comes from. But I've met just as many women who are equally crass and moronic; is it really reasonable to assume the entire sex is guilty of the crimes of a few? Of course not, so why are we doing it anyway? I have no answer for that, perhaps it's just human nature. But this thought pattern needs to stop. Innocent until proven guilty, right?
Believe me, my relationship with my husband has been a huge learning experience for me in this area. I used to be sceptical of everything a man did, I've been guilty of being too stuck up and prideful to trust that his intentions were anything other than innocent attempts at romance. Then I learned that I will never be loved like Lizzie Bennet [or insert your preferred protagonist] if I don't let go of my insecurities and stop being so suspicious. And guess what happened? I met this truly amazing man who has never done me wrong. Not once. Sure, there are the trivial mishaps, but there has been nothing that's so damaging it rips us apart as a couple. It's okay for my husband to bring me flowers on a whim, do the dishes, take the baby for an hour so I can nap, tell me I look beautiful, make my own decisions, notice my hair, massage my shoulders, and the countless other thoughtful things he does to show me he cares for me and is trying to take care of me. He's not trying to kiss up, or make up for a mistake, or apologize for something he did wrong. He's trying to show me he loves me. And I do just as many things of my own to show him that I love him. It's a two-way street, this relationship. And so far, it's working phenomenally.
So next time your friend's significant other (or yours) brings her (or you) flowers and chocolates for no apparent reason, or repeatedly compliments her new hair style, try to appreciate that he's expressing his love for her, and don't immediately be suspicious of his actions, okay? Just try it, you might be surprised.

Infant Crying - What You Need To Know and Resources!

Image Source: Google Images

We've all heard it: the shrill scream of an infant echoing across the grocery store, restaurant, theater, mall, or church. Let’s face it, babies are everywhere, and where there are babies, there is bound to be crying.You're probably familiar with the image of a young, and probably frazzled, mother doing a strange bouncing-jiggling-rocking dance to try and soothe her fussing child.

So what do an infant’s cries mean, anyway? When is a baby crying too much? And perhaps the most important question for parents, caregivers, and others: how do we make the crying stop?

There are a few theories dominating the parenting and baby world about an infant’s cries. But before we discuss those theories, let’s review the basics. A newborn infant cries for three main reasons: hunger, pain or discomfort, and tiredness. As an infant ages, he or she may cry for various other reasons, including boredom, fear, and overstimulation. New parents are often confused and frustrated when a baby cries, because they don’t understand why their baby is crying. In my experience, it helps to remember this one key fact when my son is screaming my ear off:

Infant crying is a language, and we have to learn to speak it.

That’s right. A child’s cry is one of the few ways she knows how to communicate her needs to her parents. It’s a language we used to speak fluently, but have forgotten how. New parents, and sometimes with each new child, have to learn to listen to their children’s cries and decipher what they mean. The pitch and tone of a child’s cry, as well as the situation surrounding the baby, are great indicators to parents and caregivers as to why a child is crying. For example, a low, dull cry often indicates hunger, and a shrill, piercing scream is a good indicator that the baby is in pain.

Image Source: Google Images

As your relationship with your baby increases, you’ll be able to pinpoint exactly what each of his little cries mean. For example, when my son was about three months old I noticed there were certain times where he would make a certain sound while crying, and only when he wanted me. If someone else picked him up, he would scream this sound even louder until I took him, and then he’d quiet right down or switch to his “hungry” or “tired” cry. We were learning to communicate, and most importantly I was learning his language. As a result, his crying was less frantic when I was around, because he knew I would be there to understand his language and meet his needs.

Sometimes, parents find that their child seems to cry or fuss for an abnormal amount of time, in spite of mom or dad’s best efforts to soothe them. There are a few explanations for this behavior, including colic, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), and growth spurts.

According to Dr. Neil Kaneshiro, a pediatrician at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, a baby is considered to be colicky if he or she cries for more than three hours at a time without medical cause (Kaneshiro). Colic can be caused by overstimulation, gas, dairy or food sensitivity, discomfort from overfeeding, and a strong emotion such as fear, depression, and anxiety (Kaneshiro). Some parents find that their colicky babies can be soothed with gripe water, motion such as rocking or gentle bouncing, soft singing, running water or fans, or a long walk or car ride. Sometimes, babies refuse to be soothed and will continue to fuss despite your best efforts. As long as their needs have been met, there is nothing more you can do for them. If you feel you are becoming overwhelmed with your screaming child, it is perfectly alright to set them down in a safe place and take a few minutes to yourself. Please, NEVER shake a crying infant. This can cause serious brain injury and death. See resources below for more information on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, also called infant acid reflux, affects a small number of babies. It is characterized by projectile vomiting immediately following feedings, failure to gain weight, bloody spit up or stool, and occasionally breathing issues (“Infant Reflux”). This can be relieved with medications and sometimes diet changes. If you believe your child has acid reflux or GERD, consult your child's doctor.

Growth spurts are normal and happen quite often during an infant’s first months. Often, babies will nurse or eat more frequently, called “cluster feeding,” fuss a great deal more than usual, sleep less (or more, in some cases), and be otherwise irritable. This is an important, normal part of an infant’s development, and should only last a few days to a week.

The cries of a small baby can seem frightening, frustrating, heartbreaking, and sometimes aggravating. But once we learn to understand why and what the baby needs, it is much easier to cope with and relate to those helpless little whimpers. Soon enough, those cries will be replaced with words and a whole other system of communication will develop between you and your child.

Image Source: Google Images

References and Resources

WebMD On Baby Colic and GERD:

           "Baby Colic Symptoms, Causes, Remedies, and More." WebMD. WebMD, 01 May 0000. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/crying-colic-9/what-is-colic>

                      <http://children.webmd.com/infants-children>

           The Fussy Baby Site: www.thefussybabysite.com

           Brennan, Daniel, M.D. "When Is Fussiness a Concern?" The Fussy Baby Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.thefussybabysite.com/coping/when-is-fussiness-a-concern/>.

           CDC On SBS: 

            "Heads Up: Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 09 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/sbs.html>.

           The Mayo Clinic On Acid Reflux: www.mayoclinic.org

           "Infant Reflux." Infant Acid Reflux Definition. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infant-acid-reflux/basics/definition/con-20026253>.

           The U.S. National Library of Medicine: www.nlm.nih.gov

            Kaneshiro, Neil K., M.D. "Colic and Crying: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of  Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 08 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000978.htm>.

            Pregnant Chicken: www.pregnantchicken.com

             Morrison, Amy. "My Baby Won't Stop Crying." Pregnant Chicken. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.pregnantchicken.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2011/10/1/my-baby-wont-stop-crying.html>.

The Fussy Baby Book :

Sears, William, Martha Sears, and Caroline Deacon. The Fussy Baby Book: Parenting Your High-Need Child From Birth To Age Five. London: Thorsons, 2005. Print.

The Period of Purple Crying:

 "What Is the Period of PURPLE Crying?" The Period of PURPLE Crying. National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <http://purplecrying.info/>.

The Wonder Weeks: www.thewonderweeks.com

The Wonder Weeks. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <http://www.thewonderweeks.com/>.

There are many more resources out there for causes of infant crying. If you have concerns about your child, always consult his or her pediatrician.

Lemon Raspberry Crepes

Mmmm...looks good, right? 

Actually, to me it looks like it's bleeding. This would be a great Halloween treat. Or a "Bloody Valentine" themed Feb 14th...Right. Now with that morbid note in the air, who wants to eat them?

Here's how I made them. It's mostly original. Mostly.

Lemon Raspberry Crepes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Lemon Crepes:

1 Cup all-purpose flour

1/4 Tsp salt

1/2 Cup milk

1/2 Cup water

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice, to taste

1/2 Tsp lemon zest (optional)

Raspberry Filling:

2 Cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I used frozen)

1/4 Cup water

1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Whipped Cream:

1 Cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tsp vanilla extract

2-4 Tbsp granulated sugar

powdered sugar

Directions:

CREPES: Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, water, eggs, and melted butter. In a separate container, mix together flour and salt. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients until lumps are gone. Mix in lemon juice and zest.

Pour batter into center of skillet using approx. 1/4 c per crepe. Tilt skillet in a circular motion until batter is evenly distributed. Cook 1-2 minutes, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side. Keep warm until served.

RASPBERRY FILLING: In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups raspberries and water. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, (until thawed) and/or soft. Stir in sugar and remaining raspberries. 

WHIPPED CREAM: Combine cream, vanilla, and sugar in a small bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Try not to hide in a corner and eat spoonfuls of this stuff. Not that I did that...

To Serve: Scoop desired amount of raspberry filling into center of a crepe. Roll, then then garnish with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and a few raspberries. Serve immediately, if you dare to share. It's okay to hog this...it's got fruit so it's healthy...right?

Spice it up!

This recipe can be enhanced, use your imagination!

• Spread Nutella or cream cheese on crepe before adding raspberry filling
• Add mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to raspberry filling
• Garnish with chocolate or caramel syrup
• Use a different fruit, such as strawberries, tropical fruits (mango, papaya, banana), peaches

Have more suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

This recipe has been husband approved!

Harangue

Today I feel like my brain floated out of my head and into the stratosphere.  Or maybe it's floating in a blizzard somewhere in Antarctica, and that's why my head feels so fuzzy. Or maybe it's because I haven't slept in 5 1/2 months. Yeah, that's probably it.
Today I should be cleaning my house and doing homework, packing for our trip, and finishing Christmas presents...but I don't want to. I need to write, but my head feels so foggy I'm not sure what to write. I'm not entirely sure I've retained the ability to form coherent thoughts. You've been warned.
Our lives with Monkey have gotten complicated. Why? The Sleeping Conundrum, of course. I've given up on trying to get him to sleep more than 3 hours at a time at night, to sleep in his own bed, and put himself to sleep. Okay, so he does put himself to sleep most of the time, so that's nice. He's fine. He really is a happy little boy. My husband and I on the other hand, are at our wits end.
You know it's bad when your husband corners every parent we come across and frantically asks, "When did s/he start sleeping through the night?!?"
You see, he's still hopeful that one day Monkey will *magically* just sleep 7 hours. Because that's what everyone keeps telling us. "Oh, one day you'll just wake up and realize you slept a whole night!"
Yeah, right. I've come to the realization that some kids are just NOT sleepers. My husband, on the other hand, vows he never wants another child, because he doesn't want to go through this Sleeping Conundrum fiasco again.
We attended a family reunion a few months ago, and I nearly lost it because these cute (note sarcasm) old ladies kept telling me that something was wrong with my baby because he doesn't sleep. He must be allergic to something you're eating, you don't feed him that nasty formula, do you??? Good. My children never cried like that, what an ill-tempered child. Is he ever happy??
And then there's the Mommy Wars. Whether intentionally or not, the Mommy Wars is an unspoken competition to see who can have The Best Sleeper, The Best Eater, The Quietest Child, The Happiest Child, The Cleanest House, The Best Home-Cooked Meals. Some mommies don't notice it, some don't participate, and some battle so fiercely you've unfriended them and their constant Facebook reminders of how Pinterest-perfect their lives are: "4-hour workout today! Finally down to my pre-pregnancy weight [Look at this picture of me in my teeny-bikini, you fat lard butt!] Now my 2-week old triplets have just woken from a 5-hour nap and are helping me make lasagne imbottiti! Yum!" You know the type.
Well, you know what? My life isn't that flawlessly smooth. My house isn't always clean, my baby rarely sleeps and gets pretty cranky, he's also extremely high maintenance. We skip church more often than not. When churchy people come to check to see why we didn't go to church, most of the time I ignore their knocking until they go away. I get snippy with my husband over stupid things. He plays computer games and I look at cats on the internet for hours at a time (usually while holding Monkey, I'm not completely wasting my time). Our income is nonexistent. I have 40+ pounds of baby fat to lose. I don't have a gourmet meal on the table every night. My house isn't decorated perfectly. Some days I still struggle with my depression and other self-destructive tendencies. My life is far from being perfect.
And I'm okay with that.
It won't always be like this. Soon these sleepless nights will just be memories. One day we'll have money for dishwasher detergent. I'll lose the weight. We'll have time to have adventures. I won't be constantly stressed about how we're going to afford diapers and food, or how we're going to pay our bills. One day we will be graduated from college and have a steady income.
Some day soon things will be better. But for now, if you have a problem with me and my sweat pants and screaming baby, you can kiss my fat lard butt (pardon my French).

All-Natural Gripe Water

Gripe water, have you tried it? It is amazing for little tummies that are upset because of gas, teething, colic, etc. But it is so expensive! Nearly $10 a bottle in all the stores around us. And some even have sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and dyes. Blech (I'm kidding, I'm the last person to stay away from junk food laden with all of those things!).
My husband pointed out to me after we flew through the third store bought bottle that we could probably make our own. True, true. So I did some research and was astounded at how easy this is to make! And if you have some of the ingredients already, it costs as much to buy all the supplies (which would last you at least six months) as it does to buy one bottle from the store. And it only takes about ten minutes, fifteen tops.
We have tried three different brands of gripe water, so we were pretty familiar with which flavors and consistencies the baby preferred. Little Remedies was alright, Mommy's Bliss? Oh goodness-me-oh-my no. He hated that stuff!
The first time I made this I had my husband taste-test it. He liked it so much he drank a whole mug full. So it's not just for little tummies!
You ready for the recipe? You'd better be, 'cause here it comes. Don't blink.

 Yup, that's it. Fennel, Ginger, and 1 cup of water. Bam. Gripe water. Now, there are other things that are apparently very useful when attempting to soothe little tummies, so you can add more to it if you'd like.

Peppermint, Chamomile, and Dill Weed are reportedly very good upset stomach soothers. I use Pomegranate juice instead of sugar for sweetener, but raw sugar works too.

*EDIT: Breastfeeding/pumping moms, please note that while peppermint is great for soothing little (and big) tummies, there is evidence that it (along with other mints/mint oils) may suppress lactation if ingested or infused.*
When I was doing research I found numerous sites that said Dill Weed was extremely effective at calming upset tummies. If you like, you can just use 1 teaspoon dill and steep in 1 cup of boiling water for a simple colic remedy.
I like to use 100% Pomegranate juice for flavor instead of sugar, but it is perfectly acceptable to use 1 teaspoon raw sugar, agave nectar, or another sweetener.
Now, there are a few ways to steep the herbs. I just opened up one of the tea bags, added the fennel, and re-stapled it. You can use a loose tea strainer, or if you're using ground spices/herbs you can use a mesh fabric (like a pair of old, clean tights. Cut a portion off, then use a rubber band to secure around the outside of the cup/mug) to steep.
So, enough chatter, here's the recipe. Like I said before, my recipe is sugar-free, but you can add sugar easily.

Ingredients*:
1 cup water (boiling)
1 bag ginger tea (or 1 tsp ground/shredded ginger)
1 tsp fennel (seed or ground)
1 bag peppermint tea (or 1 tsp peppermint leaf)
1 bag chamomile tea (or 1 tsp loose herb)
1 tsp dill weed
1-2 tsp 100% pomegranate juice, to taste (optional, make sure it is pure juice and does not have added flavors and/or sugar)
1 tsp raw sugar (optional, agave nectar works too)

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a cup (if using tea bags), loose leaf tea strainer (then place over cup), or mesh suspended over cup. Pour boiling water over herbs and let steep 10-15 minutes, or until almost strong in flavor.
Remove herbs, mix in sugar or juice, and pour into glass jar. Cool in refrigerator before serving.

Keep refrigerated. Shelf life is 2 weeks, refrigerated.

Serving size: 1 tsp or .5 mL
Do not exceed 6 doses in 24 hours.

*Any ingredient except water, ginger and fennel may be omitted.

Enjoy!