The Leaking Llama

Intelligence.

2011-11-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

I used to be intelligent.
I once knew the meaning of large words
Which now escape me.
There was a time when I could enter
A conversation on politics and history
And understand the connection
Between the two.
When I was much younger
I had a firm grasp
On physics and math
And things of that sort.
I knew grammar terms and usage
And I laughed at those who didn't.
Now, I am mom.
I know when someone uses incorrect grammar
But I can't tell you why
Or what part of speech they used.
I know where I stand, politically
Sort of
But I really couldn't tell you why
In any convincing manner.
I don't remember how many presidents we have had.
I don't remember the capital of South Dakota.
Mathematical symbols have escaped me.
And spell-check has become my crutch.
But for all I've forgotten,
I've learned a great deal in "mom."
I've learned what HCG is
And that you must have at least 25 ug/ml in your urine
Before you see those two blue lines.
I know the difference between a cramp and a contraction.
I can talk to my body and my baby
And control the intensity of my own labor
With complete confidence, control, and calmness.
I have learned the difference
Between a hungry cry and a peepee cry.
I know that kisses cure owies
If you get just the right spot.
And I know where that spot is.
I know that "My yove yoo" means "I love you,"
And that "Go away" means "Thanks, but I've got this."
I know how to communicate with my children without words.
I realize that this is sometimes better.
I've learned that I'm wrong.
A lot.
I've learned not to laugh at people who don't have all the answers;
Those who don't know how to spell
Or that it's "there" not "their"
Or that people "run quickly", they don't "run fast,"
Because although they might have lost these facts
They may have knowledge that is far beyond my comprehension.
They have feelings.
They deserve respect.
I forget this a lot.
But I've learned to remember.
Perhaps I can't talk about politics.
Perhaps I can't relate to "The 99%" or "The 1%"
Or even know why they do what they do.
Maybe I say the wrong word now and then
Or just sit in senseless silence
Because vocabulary has momentarily died in my brain.
But I'm still ok.
I have new facts.
I have new knowledge that transcends facts.
I used to be intelligent.
And despite outward appearances,
I still am.

All You Need is Love (dun da da da da)...

2011-08-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

I just want to say that WHOEVER is reading this blog is my FAVORITE person on Earth. I think you are the absolute BEST parent, BEST son or daughter, and overall BEST person who ever existed. I am but dirt at your feet, unworthy of your greatness, and I scourge myself 3 times a day simply because I FAIL at being YOU. Thank you SO much for reading my lowly blog and bestowing your time and attention, however fleeting, upon me and my humble existence, O Great One. You can do or say no wrong, and I bow to your greatness.

Argue with THAT, motherfuckers.

The Process of De-Parent-Ing

2011-07-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I totally made that word up. It's the only way I can describe what I see as a necessary process in raising our culture's kids. In an era of convenience and efficiency, children have become, according to most in our culture, a "difficulty." Wander through a bookstore and you will see dozens of titles related to methods of either controlling or fixing our children. Coupled with a misconstrued interpretation of religious values in a largely Christian culture, we seem to have the idea that children somehow start off damaged in some way, and nearly every parenting choice we make is some kind of effort to solve the problem of children. From birth, we are told to "encourage" our children to develop properly - tummy time, classical music, baby Einstein; black and white contrasting circles and stripes for newborns to stimulate their senses, bright, primary colors for infants and toddlers, tactile stimulation...only use certain words, foods, and activities to mimic their developmental stages...as if by NOT doing these things our children will fail to develop and remain perpetual infants! We are told how to teach them to roll over, crawl, walk, talk, read, write, and count to 10 - and we are offered a number of educational toys to help us do so. We are (unintentionally?) brainwashed to think that kids need us to make them develop normally. We are told that Mother Nature has no idea what she is doing, and that we must take over, for the good of our children.

This...is...bullshit.

There are a number of things that children will do, all on their own. With absolutely no prompting from us, children will:

1. Grow
2. Develop
3. Learn
4. Play
5. Eat
6. Sleep
7. Heal
8. Reproduce (eventually)
9. Empathize
10. Love

I promise.

We are a society that values individuality, efficiency, and competition. I'm not saying that these are bad qualities - but unchecked and unbalanced, they simply do not allow for children. We are a society focused on "getting things done" - getting to the end product - with, all-too-often, complete disregard for the method we use for doing so, when, in fact, this method is every bit as important as the final result. We have lost the value of leisure, pleasure, and even simple existence itself. We push our children aside and say, "Here, let me do that for you," instead of saying things like, "Please help me do this." The problem is NOT that our children want to help us wash the dishes, even though we are apparently (for some unknown reason other than the importance of washing dishes) in a terrible hurry; the problem is that we place too much value in breakable dishes.

When my child has a tantrum, it is not my job to put an end to it. He will not tantrum forever. He WILL (as long as I don't interfere with the process) learn to regulate his emotions through social learning and the natural development of brain cells. It is my job to see him through it. It is my job to find out why he is upset (because there is ALWAYS a reason) and it is my job to either help him accept the problem, help him find a solution to the problem, or just let him be upset about the problem for as long as he needs to. It is NOT my job, as a parent, to try and distract him, pacify him, discipline him, train him, or otherwise shut him up for the sake of not disturbing other people (who probably could do with a little more patience and self-regulation themselves) or in order to produce "well-behaved" children (which is something that has become a bragging right - a way to showcase your little pets to all your family and friends and say, "Look what a good parent I am - I've trained me a kid!").

Of course, our culture does not value intangibles. Not really. We spout Romantic ideals of love, happiness, and other equally bohemian scapegoats, but our actions speak much louder than words. We only value honesty because it keeps crime rates down and boosts public morale, which ups production. We value self-esteem because confident workers are hard workers. We value love and happiness - but only if we can squeeze them in while earning a good living so as not to depend on anyone besides ourselves for food and shelter. All children have physical needs and non-physical needs. The physical needs are things like food, shelter, clothing; the non-physical needs are things such as parental attachment, bonding, socialization, trust, love, emotional reciprocity, and security. We have become such a materialistic society that we place the highest value on the physical needs of the child, and neglect everything else. Don't believe me? Which do most Americans think is worse: A parent who works hard 40+ hours a week to feed and clothe their children, but has to send them to daycare to do so; or a parent who stays home or works minimal hours so they can be with their children, but has to depend on government aid for food and housing? Most people would tell the second parent to get off their ass and go to work. How many would tell the first parent to stay home? Why? The working parent is filling their child's physical needs, but is leaving the non-physical needs to be filled by someone else (I know, I know, not ENTIRELY, but they are not optimizing their bonding and emotional availability etc. with their children - that's my point). The second parent is filling their child's non-physical needs, but leaving the physical needs to be filled by someone else. The problem is, the child's non-physical needs, in reality, can ONLY be optimally - strike that...adequately fulfilled by the parent. Only the mother can bond with a child the way a mother can. Only the primary caregiver can form proper attachment with the child. ANYONE can give a kid food and a place to stay. Anyone. So why is it that we hold up the working parents who "sacrifice everything" for their kids - who work hard to give them food and shelter, which anyone can theoretically provide, but who neglect to optimize bonding and attachment? And why do we condemn "lazy" parents who choose to stay home with their children and provide the kind of bonding and love that ONLY a parent can provide, even if it means they have to depend on other people to help provide something as trivial as food? Are we, as a society, not completely backward on this? Sure, even I used to say things like, "Can't feed 'em? Don't breed 'em." That was before I had children. That was before I knew and loved my kids. How many people in the work force can really say that they know their children as much as they'd like to (or ought to)? What about, "Don't know 'em? Don't grow em."Hmmm..."Can't love 'em? Don't shove 'em." Eh, a bit of a stretch there. "No mirth? Don't birth." ??? Ok, well, you get the idea. The point is, we need a serious value overhaul, because our society, as it stands, is NOT kid-friendly, and whether we like it or not, kids will rule the world someday.

Tofu-Tempeh Dip

2011-07-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

You can easily make this vegan by substituting vegan cheese and mayo.

Tofu-Tempeh Dip

1 block (12 oz.) extra-firm tofu
1 block multigrain tempeh
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup mayonnaise
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced dill pickles
10-20 sprays bragg's liquid aminos
1/4 cup salsa
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. white whine vinegar
2 Tbsp. hemp seeds
2 tsp. salt
Olive oil or butter

Cut tempeh into cubes and boil 10-15 minutes. In olive oil or butter, saute crumbled tofu with liquid aminos until golden brown. Combine all ingredients and mix until well-combined. Serve chilled with crackers.

Flowers in the Crockpot

2011-07-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Just another parenting "aha" moment. Leonidas was standing on a chair next to the table and he grabbed some flowers out of the vase on the table. He was smelling them and saying how beautiful they were. Then he lifted up the lid of the (empty and unplugged) crockpot and said, "I put flowers in there?" I immediately said, kindly, "No, silly, flowers don't go in the crockpot; they go in the vase."

I immediately regretted saying this.

No, he didn't get upset or throw a fit (those of you who know Leonidas are already asking this question, I'm sure). In fact, he put them back into the vase. And it saddened me. Where was his warrior spirit? Where was the protest?

I felt as though I had broken my son.

Here he was, two years old, and thinking outside of the box, so to speak. He was being creative! He was using his imagination to make that crockpot beautiful and I CRUSHED it. Who cares if there are flowers in the crockpot? Are the crockpot gods going to knock on my door and give me a citation? Maybe the flowers would have looked nice there. What if, some day, when he's grown, and he has a house of his own, and he gets a bouquet of flowers, but doesn't have a vase to put them in - or anything similar - will he think,"Hmm, maybe I could put them in the crockpot. They might look quite lovely there," or will he think, "Damn, I have no place to put these flowers. I'll have to throw them away"??? What if I hadn't just given him the "Flowers don't go in the crockpot" schema, and when he's older, he creates beautiful crockpot floral displays whose uniqueness and universal appeal make him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams? What if I just destroyed his dream?!

Ok, ok, a little too Butterfly-Effect on that one, but you get the idea.

The point is, I just sacrificed a tiny portion of my child's creativity for the sake of...what? Some prissy notion of "that's not the proper place for that", the foundations of which escape me completely and the logic behind which is almost just as elusive?

I say go ahead, child, you put those flowers in the crockpot and display them proudly! Let them bloom like the creative, intelligent individual you are, and make way for more out-of-the-box thinking to come, because flowers in the crockpot, child, are just the tip of the ice burg.

Multigrain Blueberry Pancakes

2011-07-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

I adapted these from a Joy of Cooking recipe and turned them into a slightly healthier version :)

Multigrain Blueberry Pancakes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup blue corn meal
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup organic sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups cultured coconut milk
1/2 cup hemp milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs, separated
1 cup fresh blueberries

In a large bowl, mix together flours, corn meal, flax, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix coconut milk, hemp milk, coconut oil, and egg yolks. Whisk until well-combined. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter until almost fully incorporated. Add blueberries and fold in until just mixed. Makes about 10-12 pancakes.

Vegan Healthy-ish Cupcakes

2011-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Vegan Healthy-ish Cupcakes

1 cup organic, vegan sugar
1/2 cup organic shortening
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cup soy milk (or other vegan milk, such as almond or hemp)

Grease and flour muffin tin and preheat oven to 350F. Mix ground flax seed with 1/4 cup of water and let sit for about 5 minutes until it gels. Combine milk and vanilla and set aside. Combine flours and baking powder and set aside. With electric mixer, beat shortening and sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add flax seed mixture and beat until well-combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with milk mixture in 2 parts (i.e., add some flour, some milk, some flour, the rest of the milk, and the rest of the flour), mixing until just combined in between each addition. Don't over-mix. Fill muffin tin and bake for about 30 minutes (ok, the time is a guess - I baked them until they were done). They are done when they bounce back slightly when pressed in the middle. Let cool and frost with vegan frosting, below.

Vegan Frosting:
1/2 cup vegan shortening
1/4 cup soy milk (or other vegan milk)
2 lbs. organic powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Not rocket science. Mix all ingredients. There you go. You may need more or less powdered sugar, so have extra on hand, especially if you use homemade food coloring, which might thin it out.

Colorful, Cancer-Free Cupcakes!

2011-07-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, since we've decided to stop flooding our bodies with all sorts of chemicals, including artificial dyes, I thought our dessert-life would be a bit bland. SO NOT TRUE! Not with the discovery of homemade food coloring :) Yes, using only natural food sources, you, too, can have colorful cupcakes like the ones pictured below. Here's how I went about it:

Red Cabbage Food Coloring:

Red cabbage can be used to make not one, but four different colors! I simply boiled a head of red cabbage (cut up) until it was cooked through (this serves two purposes, since we also ate the cabbage for dinner). Then, I took the remaining purple-colored water in the pan and boiled it down until it was reduced by half, and there's the dye. No, it does NOT make the food taste like cabbage. I promise. One thing I might to differently is boil it down even more to make the color more concentrated and thus, give a darker hue to the food. I had to use a fair amount for the frosting I made, and it watered it down, so I had to add more powdered sugar, which diluted the color, so I think a more concentrated liquid would equal a more vibrant color. I'll work with this.

Now, one you've got it boiled down, you can change the color of the liquid by adding an acid or base to it. Just add a little vinegar to make it pink. Add a small amount of baking soda to make it blue, and add a larger amount of baking soda to make it green. Leave it alone for purple. You can adjust the hue as much as you want. Add to much baking soda? Add a little vinegar to make your green dye turn blue again. It's that simple. CAUTION: Adding vinegar or baking soda makes it kind of erupt like a volcano. Use a big enough bowl!

So, now that we have pink, purple, blue, and green, let's make some other colors:

Yellow: Add dry turmeric for a bright, curry-yellow color. Stale turmeric has less flavor, but honestly, I didn't notice much flavor in it anyway. Maybe a hint, but only because I was looking for it.

Orange: I tried using saffron soaked in water to get orange. It made a dull yellow. BUT, I added it to the pink I made and got orange, so there you go.

Black: I haven't tried this with frosting, but I've used it to dye eggs and it worked well. Boil a pound of black beans and then boil down the resulting black liquid to make black dye. I haven't tried it in frosting yet, so I may be updating that one soon.

And voila! Beautiful colors, all-natural and mmmmmm good :)

Lea's Amazing Vegan Shortbread

2011-07-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty basic shortbread recipe, adapted from The Joy of Cooking (1997) to use vegan ingredients. Although shortbread usually depends on the flavor of butter to give it its characteristic taste, this was surprisingly delicious without!

Lea's Amazing Vegan Shortbread

10 Tbsp. vegan shortening
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. organic sugar
1 1/2 cups organic flour

Cream the shortening and sugars until very fluffy. Add flour and mix on low speed just to combine. Gather the dough (it will look crumbly at first) into a ball and knead briefly, then press into an 8" x 8" pan and bake at 325F for 45-60 minutes, just until it barely begins to brown. Let cool until just warm to the touch, and cut or break into squares/peices.

Lea's Original Dessert Chili!

2011-07-03T19:05:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I've had some requests. For all of you who've asked, here it is:

Lea's Original Dessert Chili

2 cups cooked red beans
6 apples
3 pears
2 cans tart cherries (in water)
2 mangoes
1 cup red wine
1 cup organic sugar (make sure it's vegan-friendly if you want vegan chili)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. chili powder
4 cinnamon sticks

Peel, core, and chop apples and pears. Peel mangoes and dice. Put the oats into a food processor and process until finely ground. Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on high for at least 3 hours. Serve with Lea's Amazing Vegan Shortbread and (if you're not concerned with the vegan part) some sweetened whipped cream!

Why You (Probably) Didn't Really Need a C-Section

2011-06-17T14:29:00.002-07:00

Oh yes. I'm going there. Hate me if you will. I know I'm stepping on a lot a toes here, but if only one woman makes a change for the good of her and her baby because of it, it'll be worth it. I'm just so tired of hearing women talk about how they "needed" an "emergency" c-section and how they would not have been able to have their baby vaginally. The truth is, there is absolutely no need for a 30% c-section rate. Most women I know did not choose to have an elective c-section out of convenience; they were told that they needed one. This is a lie. Most "emergencies" are caused by hospital interventions and procedures in the first place. If you honestly couldn't push out your baby (for a number of reasons I'll list below), chances are it had nothing to do with your build, size, or capabilities as a mother, and had everything to do with your environment. Now don't get me wrong - emergencies DO happen - but they are extremely rare. Women tend to get offended when I say something like this, but really, I'm not saying anything negative about the women who have these unnecessary sections. I'm not saying that these women have done anything wrong. I'm saying these women have been lied to.

1. "My baby wouldn't fit." - This is VERY unlikely. The vast majority of women don't have babies that are too big to fit through their pelvis. The reason so many women have the trouble of "fitting" a big (or even not-so-big) baby is because they usually are made to push on their backs, either because of having an epidural, or because that's what they're told they have to do. This is the WORST position to push out a baby! Lying on one's back decreases the pelvic opening by up to 30%! If you were standing, squatting, or on your hands and knees, your 11-lb. baby probably would not have had to be cut out of your body.

2. "My baby was breech." - Vaginal birth is actually much less risky than c-sections in most breech cases (and current research is finally supporting this - something midwives have known all along). One problem is that many OBs are not trained in vaginal breech births anymore. Then there is the looming threat of malpractice suits, a threat which seems to, more often than not, take the decision-making process out of the hands of the patient. C-sections should be the last resort, and since they started out that way, most people (erroneously) assume they still are, so that if something goes wrong during a section (which happens more frequently than during a vaginal birth), people assume the doctors did everything they could, chalk it up to fate or chance, and leave the lawyers out of it. Unless your baby is completely sideways (a rare occurrence), most breech babies CAN be safely born vaginally.

3. "When they finally sectioned me, the baby had the cord wrapped around his neck 435 times!" - It is not uncommon for the baby to be born with the cord around the neck, even several times. It's actually pretty normal. You just slip it off as the baby comes out. No big deal.

4. "My baby was stuck." - This is often what people say when they mean the baby had shoulder dystocia. This is something that can often be remedies using a number of techniques, the most effective being the Gaskin Maneuver, which requires the women to get onto her hands and knees...however, if you've had an epidural (often the first in a long line of mistakes), this may be impractical (but NOT impossible). Of course, if you were allowed to labor in a secure, calm, familiar environment without being attached to machinery, you probably wouldn't have "needed" the epidural anyway, but that's another rant...

5. "My baby was in distress." - Oh really? How do you know that? Heart-rate drop? (a variation of normal in most births, but often misinterpreted thanks to continuous fetal monitoring). Or perhaps the baby was in distress due to the pitocin (the effects of which you can't feel, thanks to the epidural - no such luck for the baby, who feels every single abnormally strong contraction). These are all risks of pitocin and epidurals, by the way (you'll see them on the paper you had to sign). Babies are often thrown into distress because of the interventions they are unwillingly subjected to, leading to a truly unnecessary emergency c-section. Sure, your section may have been an emergency, but there may not have been any emergency at all if you had not been lied to and/or bullied into these interventions in the first place.

6. "I had complete placenta previa, my placenta had detached and was delivered before the baby, and the baby was sideways, sticking out an arm and waving to everyone in the room." - Ok, you needed a c-section.

Why You Probably Didn't r

2011-06-17T14:29:00.001-07:00

Gardening Adventures - Week 10

2011-06-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on my gardening progress...

We have BEANS!!! Yes, there are purple beans on my little plants, and they are beautiful :)

I also have the beginnings of soybeans...

Some flowers starting up on my pumpkin plants...

And my onions, hanging in there nicely...

While the broccoli just keeps on growing, slowly but surely...

And here's someone else enjoying our garden...

I honestly can't believe I'm growing things right now...

Gardening Adventures - Week 9

2011-05-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been too long since I've been on here. My garden is still growing, albeit rather slowly.

I transplanted my broccoli, jalapenos, and onions. My onions are doing ok, but like everything else, growth is slow.

Most of my broccoli died, but I have three little sprouts that hung on for dear life, and they are getting more leaves and growing a bit, but are still just sprouts. I'm still hopeful.

The peppers...they seem to be stuck, not growing but not dying. Not sure what to think about that.

My corn is still growing, but not near harvest yet.

My carrots I thinned a little, and they are doing great.

The pumpkins are still slow growing, but steady.

My soybeans finally have teeny, tiny buds on them and may flower this week.

The best of all are the purple beans, which have lovely flowers coming out now and are by far the healthiest things in the garden (besides the weeds).

I also found purslane growing in both front and back yards, which makes me happy (I'm on a bit of an edible weed kick lately).

Oh, and the craziest part: the rose bushes we tore out of the ground to make room for the garden.

We tore them out and shoved them (in pieces) behind the a/c unit, and it has apparently re-planted itself there and is thriving! I guess life really does find a way :)

Free-Rangin' at the Park

2011-05-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not know, aside from being the last day of the Earth's existence (haha, yeah, that was totally sarcasm), today was also the second annual "Take Our Children to the Park...and Leave Them There Day." Of course, being the parent of free-range children that I am, I participated, albeit in a modified way, in this mini-holiday.

Wait, wait, now before you call CPS...NO, I did NOT leave my two children, ages 25 months and 10 months, at the park by themselves.

Actually, I did what I do every time I take them to the park: I sat down on the grass and let them go off and play by themselves. Ruby never goes far - she plays in the grass or eats the dirt, or what have you, lost in her own little world and happy as a lark. Leonidas goes off to play on the playground equipment, climbing up the steps, rings, chains, bars, and slides...then climbing or sliding down, and doing this over and over and over again, happy as can be. So I suppose, this was really no different than any other day at the park. It just had purpose.

I wondered how many others were there under the same pretense. There did seem to be an unusual amount of parent-less children running about, but I had never been to this particular park, so that could have been the norm. As soon as we got there, he was befriended by an eight-year-old named Marilyn, who became his mother-for-the-day. He had so much fun! He learned a lot from Marilyn - how to climb up the ladder, how to go down the slide without scraping his stomach (after scraping his stomach the first time), and how to slow himself down on the swings without falling off.

In addition, for the first time in the history of his two years of park-going experience...Leonidas fell off the playground equipment!

Haha, it was fabulous! Don't worry, he's fine. He was fine within one minute of falling. He would have been fine without me, although I walked over to him anyway to make him feel more secure. He was climbing down the metal ladder, and had only gotten down one rung from the top before he tried to reach the next rung, found he was too short, and slipped off, falling down to the bottom level of the whole contraption. He landed well, didn't hit his head, and his "new mother" was instantly there, and eight-year-old savior, to apologize for not being there and to make sure he was not hurt. I held him for a minute, sat down with him, and after another minute, he was off...climbing the ladder again. Guess what - he learned what NOT to do when climbing up and down the ladder, and climbed it flawlessly at least a dozen times before we finally went home. On the way home, he told me, "My fall on the slide." "You fell off the slide at the park?" I asked him. "Yeah," he said, "my fall. My got hurt on the slide. My ok now. My happy." I think that pretty much summed it up.

I'm glad he had fun at the park with his friends. I'm glad he fell. I'm glad he learned from it with no permanent damage done, and I'm glad he's smarter and stronger from the experience. Of course, it HURTS me to see my babies get hurt, even for a moment. But it's so amazing when they come out of it healthy, strong, and above all, HAPPY. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to give my child a lifetime of free-range moments of learning and laughter. And who knows, maybe next year when he's three, he'll be able to take the bus to the park himself, buy lunch for all his friends, then find a kindly-looking stranger to give him a ride home...

Totally kidding.

Garlic-Parmesan Potatoes au Gratin

2011-05-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

This pairs wonderfully with Herb-Braised Chicken.

Garlic-Parmesan Potatoes au Gratin

5-10 medium potatoes
2 cups of milk
1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Slice potatoes in 1/4-inch slices. Prepare a 12-inch square baking pan by cutting a clove of garlic in half and rubbing the cut side all over the inside of the pan. Let dry, then rub the inside of the pan with olive oil. In a medium saucepan, combine potatoes, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 45-60 minutes.

Herb-Braised Chicken

2011-05-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

This was part of a delicious dinner I cooked earlier this week. I haven't been doing a lot of creative cooking lately, and this was a pretty standard meat-potatoes-vegetable dinner that still managed to taste extraordinary.

Herb-Braised Chicken

2 Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped
4 sun-dried tomato halves, soaked in 1 cup warm water
10 pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup water

Begin by soaking the tomato halves in warm water. While they soak, chop herbs, onion, and nuts, and trim fat from chicken breast, if desired. Heat olive oil in a skillet with a lid. Saute onion and herbs for a few minutes until onion begins to soften and herbs wilt. Add chicken and cover. Cook 3-5 minutes until browned on one side. Flip to other side and cook, with lid on, another 3-5 minutes until the second side is browned. Add the soaking water from the tomatoes plus 1 more cup of water. Cover and cook until chicken is fully cooked (about 10 minutes). Replace water if it gets dry. Slice into thin slices and sprinkle with chopped pistachios, pine nuts, and tomatoes. Serve with garlic-parmesan potatoes au gratin.

A New Way to Taste the Rainbow :)

2011-05-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

What better way to make sure you get all your colorful fruits and vegetables than to drink them?! Just so I know I'm getting a well-rounded share of nutrients, I decided I'm going to have a different color juice every day of the week. I made all my juices for two weeks and put one week's store in the freezer. I've got green, yellow, orange, red, and purple, plus white (coconut milk) and a random mixture for day seven. Here's my beautiful rainbow:

Green Juice:
1/2 cucumber
1 apple
1 pear
1 handful spinach
1 handful carrot tops
Juice of 1 lime

Puree in blender on highest speed with enough water to blend. Strain through muslin cloth and add water to make 4 cups.

Yellow Juice:
1 mango
1/2 pineapple
Juice of 2 lemons

Puree in blender on highest speed with enough water to blend. Do not strain. Add water to make 4 cups.

Orange Juice:
2 carrots
1 mango
Juice of 3 oranges

Puree in blender on highest speed with enough water to blend. Strain through muslin cloth and add water to make 4 cups.

Red Juice:
1 beet
1 cup raspberries
10 strawberries
1/2 cup cranberry juice
Juice of half a lemon

Puree in blender on highest speed with enough water to blend. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and add water to make 4 cups. Add agave nectar to taste, if desired.

Purple Juice:
1 packet frozen acai pulp
1/2 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
5 strawberries

Puree in blender on highest speed with enough water to blend. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and add water to make 4 cups.

Roast Pork with Sake-Beet Reduction

2011-05-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

This was last night's dinner, and it was a roaring success! The only objection I can think of is that it kind of looks like the pork is bleeding, lol. It could maybe use a little thickening, but with what, I'm not quite sure. Maybe I'll tinker a little. Anyway, here it is:

Roast Port with Sake-Beet Reduction

1 Pork Loin Roast
2-3 fresh beets
1/4 cup Sake
1 Lemon
Granulated Garlic
Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp. Butter

Preheat oven to 450F. Rub roast with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Place in roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Turn oven down to 250F and roast until thermometer inserted in several places in roast reads 155F, about 60 to 90 minutes. Remove roast from oven and let it rest, loosely covered, 15 minutes. While pork is roasting, peel beets and blend in blender with 1 cup water until pureed. Strain through a muslin cloth. Gently boil (being careful that it does not boil over) until reduced by half. Add salt to taste and juice of half a lemon (reserving the other half for garnish). When roast is out of oven, add the pan juices to the beet sauce, along with sake. Boil gently for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and add butter, stirring to melt and thicken sauce slightly. Serve over pork.

Here's the finished product:

No meat? No problem!

2011-04-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I tried a meat-less meal today. I know, I know. Me? Carnivore extraordinaire? Yep. And guess what. IT WAS AWESOME!!! No, really. It was. I found some wonderful produce at the farmer's market today, including delicious spring maui onions, and the best sweet potatoes I've ever had. Here's what I did:

Farmer's Market Lentil Curry

1 cup red lentils
2 small or 1 large sweet potato/yam, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 spring maui onion (or any spring onion OR mature sweet onion), sliced
2-4 Tbsp curry powder
1 can coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 quart vegetable broth
2 Tbsp honey
Juice of half a lemon, plus more for garnish, if desired
1 jalapeno, partially dried, diced (optional)
Salt to taste
Jasmine rice (optional, for serving)

This recipe may seem to have a lot of ingredients, but it's so simple. All you do is put everything (except the rice) into a pot and bring it to a boil, then simmer about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Serve it over jasmine rice with a squirt of lemon juice. I had a jalapeno that had been sitting a while and partially dried (and turned red), so I put that in. I think a fresh one would give a different flavor, but I liked the dried one. It's up to you, really. Just gives it a nice kick!

And Voila!

This one actually deserves a "wow." It was THAT surprisingly good. :)

Gardening Fun - Week 3

2011-04-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, look what's growing...

Purple Beans!

And soybeans...

And FINALLY my pumpkins...

It seems like it took forever, but they're finally sprouting.

And in the front yard, my corn...

...and carrots...

This is the clump o' seeds that Talon planted, lol...

And my indoor babies are still doing well.

Red onions...

Jalapenos...

and broccoli...I don't know how I'm going to keep the broccoli in the container for three more weeks!

But there it is :) I can't believe I'm making things grow! Stay tuned for next week's updates...

Hummus - Chip Dip of the Gods

2011-04-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one.It was late, and I was tired and hungry. The bottom line is: I made hummus! And it was surprisingly easy. Here's how I did it:

1 can garbanzo beans
1/4-1/2 cup tahini (depending on taste - I like a lot)
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon salt (you can use less - I love salt)
Juice from half a lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Drain the beans, reserving the liquid, and chop the garlic. In a food processor, process all ingredients until smooth and delicious! You can add some of the reserved liquid if it is too thick. Well, that's pretty much it :)

Mommy Makes Milk! - Part Three

2011-04-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

Yep,yep, I'm at it again. This time, I've made coconut milk, and it is so easy! You just use dried coconut, so you don't have to mess with the fresh one (not so fun). All you need is:

1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut
4 cups hot water

Empty the coconut into a bowl

and pour 2 cups of hot water over it.

Let it sit about an hour. Reach in and squeeze the coconut shreds a few times to help get out as much "milk" as possible, then put the whole mess into a blender and blend on highest speed for about a minute. Strain through your trusty muslin bag, squeezing to get out all the water. You will be left with coconut shreds.

Now,take that coconut and put it back into the bowl, adding 2 more cups of hot water. You can get even more milk this way. Let it sit a few minutes, squeeze it out, and blend again. Strain it, and add it to the first batch. That's it!

After it gets cold in the fridge some coconut oil will separate out and solidify on the top. You can either spoon it off or just shake it up and drink/use it. It's up to you!

As American As...

2011-04-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

That's right...Apple Pie! Raw apple pie, that is. No, seriously. Alright, so this one was only KIND OF a success for me. It definitely needs some tinkering. In reality, I ran out of maple syrup, so the end result was lacking a little in the sweetness department, and I'll admit, the coconut in the ice cream, not a great idea. Maybe it's just not to my taste. But aside from those two little snares, this dessert went pretty well. And I have more pictures for this one so you can see the step-by-step process :)

Raw Apple Pie with Maple-Pecan Ice Cream

Ingredients:
For the Pie -
5 granny smith apples
1/2 cup raisins
6 dates, divided
4 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup pecans, divided
1/4 cup cracked wheat
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raw honey

For the Ice Cream -
2 cups cashews
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 vanilla bean
2 cups water
1 mature coconut

Equipment:
Food Processor
8"X8" baking pan
8" pie tin

Prep:
Soak cashews in 2 cups water for a few hours. Also soak raisins in 1/2 cup water,and soak cracked wheat in 1/2 cup water.

Drill holes in eyes of coconut and drain out water.

Then, crack coconut open and remove flesh, cutting off brown skin that may adhere to it.

Process coconut flesh in food processor until finely ground, then add reserved coconut water and process until blended and as smooth as possible.

To make ice cream:
Drain cashews and save soaking water. Process cashews in food processor until finely ground and mixture begins to stick together. Add water, maple syrup, and scraped vanilla bean and process until smooth. Add coconut mixture and process to blend. Pour into pan and add chopped pecans. Freeze until firm.

To make pie:
Process 1 cup of pecans and 2 dates until finely ground...

Press into bottom of pie tin.

Process 1 apple, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 3 dates, raisins, along with their soaking water, vanilla, maple syrup, and honey.

Peel. core, and slice remaining apples...

and mix with blended apple mixture...

Pour into pie crust. Process remaining 1/4 cup pecans with 1 date and 1 tsp. cinnamon until finely ground. Mix with soaked cracked wheat and sprinkle over apples. Drizzle with a bit more maple syrup, if desired.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably longer.

And there you have it!

Delicious raw apple pie with maple-pecan ice cream. Definitely one to write home about :)

Mommy Makes Milk! - Part Two

2011-04-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

As promised, today's experiment was hemp milk. Hemp milk is supposedly one of the most nutritious for you, so of course, I had to try it. I've had commercial hemp milk before, and I wasn't that impressed. It was really thick and very - hemp-like. I know, duh, right? But it was a little strange to me. Now I must say, the homemade stuff - much better! It wasn't as thick, but still had a nice creamy consistency, and tasted lighter and slightly sweet, even without sweetener. I had a bit of a mishap when, as I was almost done straining it, my muslin bag burst open and I had to start over. The lesson - squeeze gently and have patience. The hemp seeds sort of mash up against the muslin and it takes longer to strain than, say, almond milk with its crumbly pulp that allows liquid to flow right through it.

Another nice thing about hemp milk is there's no need to soak the seeds, so not a lot of prep time :) Here's how I did it:

Hemp Milk

1/2 cup hemp seeds
3 cups water

Equipment:
Blender
Muslin bag for straining
4-cup measuring cup or bowl

Place hemp seeds and water into blender and blend on highest setting for 1-2 minutes, until seeds are finely ground and mixture is well-blended and milky. Put muslin bag into measuring cup or bowl and pour in mixture. Strain by gently squeezing and milking the bag until no liquid remains. You will be left with a mash of hemp seed residue on the inside of the bag, like this:

Yum. Ok, so I just rinsed this away, since I don't know if there's anything I can do with it.

And the result:

Yay! Homemade hemp milk in no time at all! Hemp seeds are not cheap - about $21 a pound - but it cost me only about $2.50 to make 3 cups of hemp milk, so not bad really. Cheaper than buying it, and so much tastier!

Gardening Fun - Week 2

2011-04-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm growing things! No, it's not a tumor. It's a garden! Look 8^o

Peppers...(there IS a little shoot there, I promise)

Onions...

And Broccoli!!!

I am pleased :)

Mommy Makes Milk!

2011-04-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's not news that this mommy makes her own milk for her babies, but I'm talking about a different kind of milk. This week's adventures take us into the realm of non-dairy milk substitutes. That's right - nut milk, seed milk, and what-have-you. So far I've made three different types: Almond Milk, Oat Milk, and Sunflower Seed Milk. Each was its own little adventure, and I'm sure there will be more to come...

So yesterday's task was almond milk. It was surprisingly easy. I soaked the almonds overnight in a jar. Actually, I didn't measure the water. I used a jar that was slightly bigger than 2 cups, filled it about 3/4 full with raw almonds, then filled it to the top with water, and let it sit overnight. By morning, the almonds had swelled to fill the jar and there was very little standing water left. I emptied the almonds into the food processor and added another full jar of water (so a 2:1 ratio of water to almonds). I then processed it, strained it, and was left with about 2 cups of milk, to which I added the same amount (2 cups) of water and put it in a jar in the fridge. Here's the breakdown:

Almond Milk

2 cups raw almonds soaked in three cups of water overnight
4 cups water, divided
Optional: vanilla and sugar/honey/agave/sweetener to taste

Equipment:
Food processor
4-cup measuring cup or bowl
Muslin cloth, bag, or nut milk bag (I used 2 squares of muslin, about 1'X1' each, sewed together on two adjacent sides to make an open bag for straining)

Put soaked almonds, along with any soaking water left, into food processor with 2 cups of water. Process until well-blended. Place bag in bowl/measuring cup and pour in mixture. Gather up the ends of the bag and squeeze out the milk. I like to twist the top closed, leaving some air in the bag, and squeezing the mixture up and down, kind of "milking" it, to speed things along, because I'm impatient like that. Once you've gotten out all the milk (there will be about 2 cups, give or take), add the remaining 2 cups of water to the milk and pour it all into a bottle, adding vanilla and sweetener if you'd like.

See? Simple! Once you're done you'll also end up with a bag full of almond pulp, like this:

I'm still working out what to do with this. I may attempt to dry it out and grind it into almond flour. I'll post all about that if it goes well...

Now for today's experiments: Sunflower Seed Milk and Oat Milk

Sunflower Seed Milk

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked in 1 1/2 cups of water for 24 hours
4 cups of water. divided

Equipment:
Food processor
4-cup measuring cup or bowl
Muslin cloth, bag, or nut milk bag (I used 2 squares of muslin, about 1'X1' each, sewed together on two adjacent sides to make an open bag for straining)

Put soaked sunflower seeds into food processor along with 2 cups of water and process until smooth. Strain in bag just like for Almond Milk (above) and add remaining 2 cups of water, then bottle.

Again, you'll end up with sunflower seed pulp...

I have no clue what to do with this!

And the Oat Milk...this was an adventure...

So you have to soak the oats for about 24 hours...easy part. The problem was, unlike the nut/seed milk, you should soak it in the full amount of water you will be using for processing, which make for too much water in my food process, apparently, because it leaked everywhere. I had to process it in 2 batches. You could just cut the recipe in half to avoid this problem. Also, DO NOT use muslin to try and strain this! It will just gum up the bag and stick to everything, and the milk will not be able to strain out. Instead, use a mesh strainer, and don't spill half the oat milk all over the counter like I did :)

Oat Milk

1 cup raw oats
4 cups water

Equipment:
Food processor
fine mesh sieve
4-cup measuring cup or bowl

Soak oats in water overnight. Pour oat/water mixture (use half at a time) into food processor and process until well-blended. strain through a fine mesh strainer, stirring the mixture in the strainer to push the milk through, then bottle.

The wonderful thing about making oat milk is that it leaves you with a by-product of AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS raw oatmeal! Check it out:

I added a little maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins. I never thought I would enjoy eating cold oatmeal, but wow, this was incredible :)

So there it is...the first few trials of homemade milk alternatives in the King household. Stay tuned for more as I venture into the world of hemp milk, the wonder-elixer that apparently is the nectar of the health-food gods...

Raw Spaghetti - Unbelievably Good!

2011-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I know there are tons of recipes out there for raw marinara sauce, but I honestly didn't expect this dish to taste ANYTHING like spaghetti. OMG was I wrong! I cheated and heated it for just a few seconds in the microwave to warm it slightly, because I'm still a little put-off by eating cold spaghetti, but seriously, even cold, it was amazing! I had to have two helpings :)

Raw Spaghetti

3 vine-ripened tomatoes

3 sun dried tomato halves

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small handful fresh basil leaves

1 small handful fresh parsley

1 date

Juice from ½ lemon

1 clove of garlic

Salt to taste

1 zucchini

Nutritional yeast for garnish (“parmesan cheese sprinkle”)

In food processor, process tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, basil, parsley, date, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until pureed. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices, then into 1/8-inch sticks. Top with marinara and sprinkle with nutritional yeast, if desired.

I would have taken a picture, but I ate it so quickly I didn't have time, lol. I was starving! I WILL be making this again, though, so pictures to come!

Lea's Amazingly Raw Carrot Cake

2011-04-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today was Leonidas's second birthday, so I figured, why not do something out of the ordinary? Why not experiment a little. After all, he's two. He probably won't care if I screw it up anyway, right?

So here it is - tonight's experiment - Raw Carrot Cake. Overall, not bad. A bit of that raw-carrot aftertaste, and really rich, but highly satisfactory :)

Raw Carrot Cake

1 Cup carrot pulp (from juicing 6-8 small carrots)

¼ Cup apple pulp (from juicing 3 small apples)

5 dates

½ Cup raisins

1/3 Cup shredded coconut

1 Cup walnuts

½ Cup almonds

1/3 Cup maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

2/3 Cup wheat germ

1 Cup oats

½ Tbsp. coconut oil

Frosting

1 1/2 Cups cashews

¼ Cup water

½ Cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ Cup shredded coconut

¼ cup coconut butter

Garnish (optional):

Crushed walnuts

Put walnuts and almonds in food processor and process until finely ground, but not yet butter. Add dates and raisins and process to chop and combine. Add carrot and apple pulp, coconut, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Process to combine. It may become difficult to process completely at this point, so empty everything into a large mixing bowl. Process oats until finely ground, and add to the mixture along with the wheat germ. Mix with your hands until well combined. Press into a small (6”) cake pan (you could use an 8” or 9” cake pan, but will get a flatter cake) and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Unmold onto serving plate.

For the frosting: Soak coconut in water 15 minutes, then drain. Process cashews in food processor until finely ground and mixture begins to form a ball (i.e., becomes “cashew butter). Add water, vanilla, and maple syrup and process until smooth. Add coconut and coconut butter, and process until lightened in color and texture. Top cake with frosting and garnish with crushed walnuts if desired. Refrigerate before serving.

Voila!

Looks good from here. Let's cut it!

OMG! It looks like carrot cake!

And tastes like it, too...pretty much.

Now who will help me finish it?

Raw Dark Chocolate Brownies with Honey-Pecan Icing

2011-04-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a dessert kind of day. Here was my first attempt at raw brownies. It could use a little tweaking - maybe some oats for a bit more chewiness - but overall a success! Here's how I went about it:

Raw Dark Chocolate Brownies with Honey-Pecan Icing

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

5 Dates

½ cup walnuts

½ cup pecans

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ cup agave nectar

½ cup wheat germ

Icing:

1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

½ cup pecans

½ tsp. vanilla

In food processor, process walnuts and pecans to a fine powder. Add dates and process until chopped and blended. Add coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla, and agave. Process until well-combined. Stir in wheat germ. Pat into an 8” X 8” pan and refrigerate.

For the icing: Process pecans until the mixture comes together in a ball (makes “pecan butter”). Scrape into a medium mixing bowl and add coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Mix with a hand-mixer until lightened in color and texture, about 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate until spreading consistency. Spread onto brownies and cut into small squares (these are very rich, so keep them small!).

And here's the final product. Yes, my pieces are uneven a placed haphazardly on the plate, because they just don't care, and are bad-ass like that :)

How does your garden grow...

2011-04-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, quite well. I've gotten all my planting done for the Spring, with the help of Leonidas and his cousins, Talon and Persephine. I had to get a little creative with placement, since we don't have a lot of room.

Here is my front yard, where our roses are blooming quite nicely. I had to sneak the hyssop in the back, between them. There are three tiny hyssop plants growing back there, I promise.

This is the unlikely spot for my corn and carrots...

Yes, that little spot right there. Hey, it could work.

So here is the front yard, in all it's potential glory...

And, of course, we had to use up what tiny little space there was in the back yard as well.

I think the clothesline shadow really makes this picture shine, don't you?

Now here is the other side of the yard...complete with the beautiful "weeds" that I will NOT be getting rid of. I like weeds. :)

This will eventually become Cinderella pumpkins, purple beans, and soybeans...

So there it is...my lovely, tornado-just-hit-but-I-still-love-it back yard...my potential future food source!

And let's not forget the broccoli, jalapenos, and red onions which I started inside.

And thus starts my gardening adventure. I DO have some compost that's been composting all year...need to get that over here soon (ahem, Mother, who owns a van with compost-toting capabilities and keeps forgetting to bring it over when she visits...). I just hope I can manage to remember that they're all out there instead of forgetting to water them and letting them die like I usually do. :/

Raw "Chocolate"-Covered Strawberries

2011-03-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

So recently I've been wanting to go back to eating more raw foods. There's no question about the health benefits, and to tell you the truth, it just seems to be a craving of mine lately. So, here I am, in the kitchen, trying to work with what little resources I have until payday, and voila! I create these delicious raw "chocolate"-covered strawberries :) They firmed up nicely in the fridge, and are more along the lines of fudge-covered strawberries, but every bit as tasty as you might imagine that to be! Here's the recipe:

Raw "Chocolate"-Covered Strawberries

1/4 cup Raw Carob Powder
1/4 cup Raw Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Raw Honey or Agave
1/8 tsp Vanilla or 1/4 vanilla bean
1-4 Tbsp liquid*
1 pint Strawberries

* For the liquid, you can use any kind of nut milk, oat milk, soy milk, or even raw cow's milk if you'd like. Use just enough to get the mixture to the right consistency.

Warm the coconut oil slightly over warm water to melt it without heating it too much. Whisk in the honey or agave until blended. Slowly whisk in the carob powder until smooth. It may be very thick and slightly crumbly - that's fine, too. Add the vanilla or scraped vanilla beans and whisk in your chosen liquid until the mixture is a little thinner than chocolate frosting. Dip strawberries in carob mixture and refrigerate. This probably makes about 15-20 medium-sized strawberries. I wouldn't know. I made 10 and ate the rest, lol.

I think next time, however, I will use agave nectar instead of honey, or at least use a milder honey. I used half and half this time, and the wildflower honey I used was a bit overpowering. Also, I used soy milk - not raw, but it's what I had on hand. Any kind of "milk" would probably do - almond milk would most likely give the best complimentary flavor. Also, I used raw coconut butter, instead of coconut oil, which gave it a slightly gritty texture that was not the greatest. It would be much smoother with coconut oil, but again, what I had on hand...

Overall, these were outstanding! The coating, as I said, hardened to a more fudge-like consistency, but I kind of like that; it avoids the typical chocolate-covered strawberry flaw of hardened chocolate fracturing at the first bite, usually leaving you with a lap full of chocolate pieces and a naked strawberry. These are VERY rich and will satisfy your chocolate craving instantly - at least, they satisfied mine :)

The Compassion of Children

2011-03-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today it dawned on me that we don't give our children enough credit where it is rightfully due. It seems second-nature to most of us to try and instruct our children in the ways of politeness and compassion. "Say thank you," "say sorry," "give her a hug", "say excuse me," etc. I hold the not-so-popular opinion that this actually does more harm than good, since forcing a child to do these things makes it compulsory and externally motivated, which, in turn, makes it less likely that they will do such things on their own and be sincere in their intent. My goal is to encourage my children to be internally motivated and genuinely compassionate.

Of course, as we all know, at two years old, most children are distinctly self-centered and not overly concerned with the emotions of others, having not yet completely even realized that others have genuine feelings or that their own actions may affect the feelings of others. What this means is that I am destined to have painfully rude, selfish, and, at times, downright mean children until they reach the age when they are developmentally capable of true empathy. I accept this. Others probably do not (especially those with children who have to play with and be bullied by my two-year-old), but in allowing their children to play with mine, they are helping him to develop that altruism that should be rearing its pretty little head any day now...

But today, I was reminded that children love others despite what we may inadvertently teach them. Leonidas was playing with his two cousins, ages 3 and 4, and a neighbor kid, age 5. They were playing outside on this lovely, bright, sunny day, and spraying each other with water from the hose. Persephine, his four-year-old cousin, became obviously (and as dramatically as her four-year-old self could muster) distraught, grabbed her towel, wrapped it around her, and sat down on the curb, back to the other children, head hanging down, staring into the gutter in a very lonely sort of way. I watched from across the street, silent and observing. After a minute, Leonidas saw her sitting there. He looked at her for a few minutes, unsure of the situation, trying to figure it out. Then he walked over cautiously, sat down on the curb next to her, put his hand on her back, tilted his head, and, in a very concerned yet quiet tone of voice, said, "Uh wrong, Seh-she?" (Translation: "What's wrong, Persephine?") She looked at him, sighed heavily, and said, "I'm cold, and they won't stop squirting me," then put her head back down into her hands. Leonidas contemplated this for a moment, then looked down into the gutter, sighed, and said, "Yeah." The two of them sat there for a few minutes, just looking into the gutter and feeling bad, one for the other. Leonidas then stood up, said, "Wa pway, Seh-she?" ("Wanna play, Persephine?") She shook her head, "no," and he went on his way, playing with the others. Not a tremendous exchange, but a meaningful one. I have never told him how to react to others when they are sad, or told him to "ask what's wrong," or "say you're sorry." But he knew. At 23 months old, he knew she was hurting, and he knew what to do - probably even better than many adults would have. He didn't try to fix it (he hasn't been taught to do that). He just listened and empathized. I could learn a lot from him. I wish more people would learn to do that. Maybe what we try to teach actually gets in the way of that natural reaction. Maybe kids learn more from observing others than from being "taught." Maybe they don't have to be taught at all - they just have to learn. I know one thing: I am proud of my son - when he is mean and when he is kind - not because of what I have taught him, but because of what he has learned, and because in spite of all my efforts to "parent", he still manages to thrive!

Living Dangerously!

2011-02-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

Let's play a game. It's called, "How many dangers can you find in this picture?"

Let's see...pant legs that are too long (tripping hazard), long hair obstructing vision, child under the age of two standing above ground level (on one foot, no less), child playing on metal bench not intended for toddler recreation (with wooden, splinter-ridden boards - horror!), muddy play surface (reduced-traction hazard)...

And let's not forget the worst one...trees...

"Wait, wait. Dangers," you may ask, "what dangers? All I see is a child having fun!"

Or at least, this is what you might say if you, like myself, are in the process of raising Free-Range Kids.

On the other hand, you may be one of the "others." You know, the parents who think their kids are living in the next "final Destination" sequel, with random, freak accidents lurking around every corner, lying in wait for your unsuspecting children...

But we all know that isn't reality, right? Right?

...

"But what if..." I know, I know. What if tragedy strikes. Then it would be just that: A tragedy. Indeed, it's something I don't really even want to think of when it comes to my children. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret...

I used to be one of the "others."

Ok, ok, so it's no secret. Everyone knows I've had my helicopter moments. But I'm changing. Really. In fact, I'm committed to it, wholeheartedly, for the sake of my sanity, for the sake of my marriage, and most of all, for the sake of my children. I don't want them to be afraid of everything outside their front door. I want them to be happy and live fully. I want them to be KIDS while they still can, so they can grow into fine adults. I want to raise children who are rowdy, crazy, a bit spoiled, a bit more spirited, and very well-loved.

So, in the interest of spreading this new-found free-range wisdom, I'd like to demonstrate what "Free-Range Kids" might look like - so you can spot them in a crowd (and inform the proper authorities).

Now here's a child, about 22 month old, about to embark on a bike ride. Note the absence of parental assistance. This is a hallmark feature of the Free-Range Child.

Note that the child has successfully gotten onto the bike and is pedaling away. No intervention needed.

Oh look, a child going for a walk...in heels...in his pajamas...

We'll just let this one speak for itself...

This is a toddler in a bath tub. Free-Range Children often bathe in actual water, unassisted, and, in this case, are allowed to use the faucet. Crazy, I know.

Now here is a picture of my son, almost two, helping me in the kitchen. He is cutting up butter into pieces for use in making a pie crust. Yes, that is an actual knife he is using, and it is sharp. He knows it is sharp, and knows how to use it carefully. He is also standing on a two-step step stool, and has excellent balance. You may be happy to know that he IS wearing a protective apron over his clothes. :)

NAKED BABY ALERT!

Haha, now this, I don't actually recommend, but with Free-Range Kids, this will often happen. Do not be alarmed. Just applaud him for his creativity and encourage some other, equally-fun, yet less dangerous activity such as jumping off the couch or playing with sticks.

Ahh, now here we see Leonidas doing something else often seen in Free-Range Children: Eating. Note that he is holding his own food and getting incredibly messy...

Actually, this was a watermelon eating contest. He did not win, but had fun in the attempt!

Now THAT is satisfaction!

From these pictures, you can clearly see that Free-Range Kids can be found in several different arenas, enjoying several different activities, and worrying several different parents simultaneously. Feel free to point out the "dangers" in these pictures and warn everyone around you of what "could" happen. I probably won't be listening, since I will be beaming from ear to ear, listening to the laughter of babies and watching my children grow up happy, healthy, and FREE!

Lea's Fabulous Chicken Salad

2011-02-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, diced
1 stalk of celery, cut in half lengthwise then sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup green grapes, quartered
1 granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup homemade mayonnaise*
1 small lemon
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2-4 Tbsp. agave nectar
Salt and pepper to taste
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

In a large bowl, mix chicken, green onion, celery, apple, grapes, and pecans. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, juice of lemon, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, agave nectar, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture, combine well, and chill. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

* You can also use store-bought mayonnaise, but I like to make mine so I can tailor it to this recipe. For the mayonnaise, I put one egg, 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar, and a hefty pinch of salt in the blender. Blend, and, with the blender running, very slowly pour in one cup of vegetable oil, drop by drop at first, then more quickly at the end, until it is all emulsified and thickened (and looks like mayonnaise). If you notice oil rising to the top, stop adding the oil for a moment and let it work into the mixture completely before continuing to add more.

Why do I forget to blog?

2011-02-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, once again, it seems I've forgotten that this blog exists. It's been four months now, during which time Ruby has recovered from being dropped, come through a case of presumed pertussis, survived having her shoulder popped out of the socket by her multi-tasking mother (oops), and has learned to crawl and stand up with the help of furniture. Leonidas has turned into quite the big brother himself, and despite their rocky beginning, my children have come to love one another. We have also survived our move to Hemet (along with Granny), and are doing quite well. We have also acquired two pet rats named "Kitty" and "Mayu-Mayu" (pronounced "My-you My-you"), and will soon be adding a pair of chickens for our egg-laying delight (more on that later). Other developments are in the works...more to come...but for now, that's us, in a nutshell. :)

Humpty-Dumpty

2010-10-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Latest news: The Infamous Baby-Dropping Incident of 2010.

Yep, that's right, I dropped the baby.

The story goes like this: On Friday morning around 8:00am I was giving Ruby a bath in the bathroom sink. I took her out and dried her off in a towel. Leonidas had just come out of the shower and was sitting on the potty. Well, he was wiggling around and trying to get off the potty and started to fall, so, while holding little Ruby in her towel, I reached over to make sure he didn't fall and POP, Ruby just popped herself right out of my arms and landed straight on the top of her head on the linoleum floor from a height of about four feet! My heart completely sank, and in that moment, I thought I had lost my precious baby girl. It sounded like a pumpkin being thrown to the floor. I had tried to grab her, but it was too late - she had hit. I quickly scooped her up while screaming something like, "OH MY GOD!" and calling for Brandon to help me. She began screaming and I laid her down on the carpet. I noticed there was baby poop splattered all over the bathroom, and I feared the worst. I'm not actually sure what happened, but I know my mom and Brandon were there helping me check her out. She was screaming and crying harder than I had ever seen her, and her neck and shoulders were all stiffened up. I was crying as hard as she was. We called 911 and an ambulance took her to the hospital across the street. She had a CT scan and they discovered a small skull fracture, so they transferred her over to the county hospital a few blocks away, where they had a pediatric neurologist available. We waited in that E.R. all day long until he finally meandered over to see us. There was no brain bleeding or swelling, so we were given the option of admitting her and keeping her there overnight for observation or taking her home to keep an eye on her. We decided to take her home; I wanted her to remain on me as much as possible, not stuck in a cold crib hooked up to monitors in an unfamiliar place where only one parent could be with her overnight and her brother couldn't even visit her at all. The doctor agreed with me. :) She is doing just fine now. The fracture should heal on its own - we just have to watch for certain things and take her back in if there are any complications. She just has a small bump and barely-noticeable bruise on her head and the beginnings of a black eye. She doesn't even seem to notice that anything happened. What a trooper!

Needless to say, I'm kind of scared to carry her around now. But all-in-all, we've come out alright. We are calling her "Humpty-Dumpty" now, and I think the name might just stick. One day, she'll be able to have the last laugh when someone jokingly asks if her mom dropped her on her head as a baby. ;P

Cry Baby...

2010-09-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

I have been guilty of being an ungrateful mother. I find myself getting so upset when my babies cry. I get angry. I get frustrated. I get sad. I yell and I cry with them. Sometimes I just sit silently and ignore it for a second because I cannot take it any more - or so I think. Of course, I CAN take more, but I choose not to, because I'm selfish. I want my sleep. I want my Facebook. I want to fold laundry and cook dinner.

But then I am reminded of what I would miss. There was a woman on one of the message boards I frequent. She had a baby in April 2009, just like Leonidas. She told her story of her c-section birth. This child that was born was her second. She had a baby that was stillborn the year before. I remember in her story how she related that as they took her baby out of her stomach, she kept repeating to herself, "Cry. Please cry," because with her first baby, she never got to hear that beautiful cry. Just silence. I think of what must have been this deafening silence after buying baby clothes, decorating the nursery, and going through baby name after baby name trying to find the perfect one. Oh, how indescribably amazing that first little cry must have been! It made ME cry just to hear that her second child was born alive and healthy - and screaming his little head off!

When my babies start to cry - when they won't STOP crying for hours - let me not forget how beautiful a cry can be. Let me remember that there are people out there who would give all that they have just to hear their baby cry.

EC Adventures - Two at a time!

2010-07-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

So our EC Adventures series has begun a new chapter: we'll call it "Tandem EC." EC with two is not all that much more difficult than EC with one - so far. Occasionally, they have both needed to go at the same time, in which case either Brandon and I each take one, or we just have a "miss" to clean up, but this doesn't happen too often (thank God).

Leonidas is very upset with me for having another baby, and consequently, has been refusing to go on the potty for me. He also seems to be completely unaware that he is going at times until after the fact, which is unusual for him. He has been wetting the bed 2 or 3 times a night, which he has never done. He does, however, like to pee outside and "water the grass", so when daddy is unavailable to take him to the potty, I let him play outside :) We have recently started putting his potty in the living room so he can sit on it himself, and this has seemed to help matters. Now if we can only get him to understand that his underwear have to come off first...

Ruby has been surprisingly easy in this respect. She cries or fusses when she has to go, and we are communicating very well back and forth. EC Rule # 807: Cues are more reliable than timing. The fact that your always-on-schedule-reliable-baby just peed and pooped three times in a row does not mean that she doesn't have to go again. That squirming means something - pay attention! This was a lesson hard-learned today.

Letting Go...Sort Of...

2010-07-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Letting Go.

These are two words that we often put together, hoping to be able to accomplish their meaning, but seldom finding the ability to even define what they mean, much less master their intent. There are multiple ways in which we use this phrase, from the Language of Letting Go to Let Go and Let God, but what does “letting go” really mean? And, if it really is something positive, how do we accomplish this?

I’ve been struggling with this one, and even as I write this I’m figuring it out, so please disregard any discontinuity in these paragraphs. This is pretty much just my mind thinking and writing as it goes, with no rough draft ☺

I find the phrase “letting go” to be kind of daunting. It seems to insinuate a relinquishing of control, and I HATE giving up control! Of course I do. I’m human. No human wants to give up control. That would be counterintuitive and most likely jeopardize our survival. We’re hard-wired to hate the very idea of surrender. Most people stop here when they think of defining the phrase “letting go” – then wonder why they can’t seem to get it right. “Why can’t I just let go?” “Just let go and let God.” “Just…” as if it were “just” that simple! Oh sure, that’s all there is to it, huh? Just completely ignoring all of my instincts and giving up? Sure, no problem! Why do we think that this should be simple? Or even remotely possible? I’ll not touch on the Biblical nature of this right now, but let it be known that I AM taking Biblical teachings into consideration here, and I see no support for this view, either in scripture or in nature.

So what are the other meanings to this phrase? What other factors come into play? You see, the very idea of “letting go” is ambiguous. On the one hand, it means giving up control, yet on the other hand, it may mean taking back control as well. How is that possible? Well, if one “lets go” of the constraints which define him and contain him, he can find freedom, which, in itself, is a form of self-control. I find it easier to incorporate this aspect into the definition of “letting go,” for a number of reasons, both spiritual and practical. Again, I’ll leave the theology out of this for now, but sum up by saying that I find more support for this view than for the former. Practically, however, this seems to be the only true way of “letting go” of anything. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s simple. Letting go of our chains – especially those which we forged ourselves – can be almost as difficult as self-sacrifice. Actually, in a way, it IS a form of self-sacrifice. Even our fears define us, and without them, oppressive though they are, we are never quite the same.

As I said, I have been struggling with this concept lately. I am defined by a number of traits, both positive and negative. I don’t like to be one of those people who refuses to change and says, “Oh well, that’s just how I am.” I think that’s selfish, even though I know we all do it to some extent. Being able to see our own faults takes a great deal of discipline and mental contortionism; changing them takes nothing short of astral projection! Stepping outside oneself is essential if one is to even BEGIN on this road. And unfortunately, looking at ourselves is usually not pretty. I’m reminded of the swamp of sadness in The Neverending Story. It is easy to allow it to overtake you. If you decide to take a good, hard look at yourself without having a worth-while goal, you may get lost in what you see, and some people never make it out.

So on that happy note…what is our goal? How can we keep our heads above the water? Optimism helps, but this is something that usually just falls on one person or another, so we can’t all rely on that. Perhaps redefinition of self is the goal. It’s a big task, no doubt, but definitely not as scary as losing oneself altogether. When you are willing to redefine yourself, you don’t have to “lose” anything. You just gain more parts, really. Perhaps you are an angry person. You don’t need to lose that part – you simply gain the ability to control it and work with/through it. If you are a genuinely angry person, you may always be an angry person, but you can also be a self-controlled person, and that may make the difference. Afraid of crowds? So maybe you’ll always be somewhat afraid of crowds, but you can add the ability to deal with that fear. Of course, there are things that will have to be “let go” in the very real sense, but it’s easier to take it step by step.

So I’m not even remotely close to having this down yet, but I’ve been working on it. I have a lot of things that I’ve been needing to “let go” of. For one, I am a very angry, impatient person. Even writing that makes me angry! And honestly, I’m surprised I’ve had the patience to write this much! Now I don’t claim expertise in this of course. Out of 100 times a day that I need to “let go”, I probably manage to let go maybe 20 times. But who knows…tomorrow it may be 21 ☺ The point is, it’s a work in progress. There are ways to make the process easier, though. I’ll try to touch on a few of them that I’ve found.

First of all, watch your language. “I can’t”, “I have to”, “I can’t stand” – these all need to leave your vocabulary at once. Even “I am” statements need to be curbed. These all convey a sense of permanence to our own pitiful plight that sends us into the old habit of repeating the same mistakes, then defining ourselves by them. “I can’t stand it when the towels don’t match,” can become, “I prefer the towels to match.” The second one is much easier to deal with, don’t you think? Suddenly it’s just a “preference,” rather than an absolute that MUST be adhered to in order for you to keep your identity. Even the statement that I made earlier, “I am a very angry, impatient person,” can be changed to something like, “I tend to get angry and lose my patience easily.” Ahh, that feels much better, and didn’t make me angry! I can deal with “tend to.” “I am,” on the other hand, is so dreadfully permanent and doesn’t offer much hope for change. It’s amazing what changing a few words in our own vocabulary will do!

Second, please fail. Failing is ok. It doesn’t mean you have to start over. Just try again next time. And if need be, apologize, to whomever your failure may have affected. This is difficult for a lot of people, but with practice, it will get easier. And trust me, you’ll have plenty of practice!
Third, let go by holding on. Huh? Yeah, seriously. You have some tricks up your sleeve. When you find one that works, take note, and use it often. Hold on to that bag of tricks, and pat yourself on the back when you remember to use them. Share your success with others as well. It’s ok to brag a little. You’re not being overly-prideful. You’re simply being happy at your own little victories. Share the joy, and keep ‘em coming!

I know I’ve got more, but honestly, if you’ve read this far, I commend you. I wouldn’t have! Maybe I’ll put this in my book someday, if I ever finish it. It will be in a chapter entitled, “How Not to Screw Up Constantly,” or “Tricking Yourself into Not Being Yourself,” or some other cleverly-worded, eye-catching title that makes people think, “Hmm, how profound,” which is just another way of saying, “I have no idea what the hell that is supposed to mean.”

Ruby Jane - first few weeks

2010-07-18T00:20:00.001-07:00

Well, so far, so good with little Ruby :) Our main concern this week was an apparent clogged tear duct that was getting worse. The poor little thing had a huge bump near her left eye that was draining and hurting her and just making her miserable. It was also really distorting part of her face so that the left eye looked considerably smaller and further away from her nose than the right one. We took her to see my doctor who suggested using warm compresses and massage from the corner of the eye toward the nose, but by the next week, it was hurting so badly that we decided on Wednesday that we were going to take her back the next day to see if the doctor could offer any more relief. That evening, I steamed up the bathroom and took her into a warm shower with me. When we got out, it didn't look any better - it wasn't draining and was getting bigger and more painful for her. She fell asleep, and a few hours later, it was completely gone! :D There was no drainage from her eye, which means the tear duct actually opened and drained through her nose like it should. There was no bump left at all! All that remained was a red spot where the skin had been stretched out over the bump, and by morning, all was completely better. Her left eye is actually a bit bigger than her right! She can open it all the way now, and we are so happy to be able to gaze into BOTH of her beautiful eyes.

We'll see what kind of adventures next week holds...

Ruby Jane King is here!

2010-07-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ruby Jane arrived on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 6:46pm. Here is her birth story:

I woke up at 8:00am with my son, as usual, and contractions were there, a little more uncomfortable than normal, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I had a feeling it was the day, though. I felt a strong contraction later that morning and my first thought was, “I’m in labor.” They started to get more uncomfortable, but not regular at all (they never did get regular, even at the end), so I called the midwife around noon and told her what was going on. I said I would eat some lunch and call her back to let her know if there was any progress. I called back at 2:15pm and told her to come over, since they were really starting to hurt.

She arrived at 3:00pm and checked me. I was dilated to 5-6cm outside and about 4cm inside, but stretched to 6cm during contractions. They helped Brandon set up the pool and everything. Around 4:30pm I told Brandon to fill up the pool, because it wouldn’t be long – the contractions were killing me. I got in the water around 5:30pm and she checked me. I was dilated to 6-7cm. The water was such a relief, though! I asked her to check me again around 6:30pm or so because I was feeling a lot of pressure and slight pushing. I was 7-8cm, but she said my cervix was so soft it would probably open with some pressure from the baby, so if I felt the urge to push to just go with it. About 5 minutes later I had a really bad contraction that pushed at the end, and I said, “Oh, she’s coming right now.” Then the pushing started and my body began to push her out – about 5-6 in a row with no time to breathe in between, but I really didn’t have much control over that – she was pushing herself out. Another few of those and her head was out. I felt it hurting in the front, so I pushed her toward the perineum a little to avoid the bad labial tear I had last time. No contractions for a few minutes, then another few pushes and she wiggled her body out at 6:46pm. I reached down to catch her and Brandon and I brought her up out of the water together. The cord was around her leg and pretty short, so I unwrapped that and laid her on my chest.

The placenta was born about 20 minutes later. We didn’t cut the cord for about 1 ½ - 2 hours. I stayed in the water for a few minutes after the placenta was born, then decided to get out and lie down in my bed, so off we went. We popped some pink champagne and made a toast. The midwife took a look at me to see if I had torn. I had one very tiny labial tear, but no stitches required and it’s not even in a place where I can feel it, so no pain at all. She nursed like a champ within about 10 minutes of being born, and nursed about three times in the first hour or so. We finally decided to cut the cord, but not to clamp it. Then she pooped and we did the newborn exam while I ate some dinner. She weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 ½ inches long.

She went out to the living room with daddy to see all our visitors while I nursed Leonidas to sleep. Then she and daddy came back and we all went to bed. I didn’t sleep much – just watched her a lot. Leonidas did great with her – a little jealousy once when nursing, but other than that, he was amazing with her.

As of today, she is 5 days old and doing great. She has a clogged tear duct, but nothing too serious. Leonidas has some jealousy, of course, especially when she is nursing, but today he's been really great with her and just loves her. The tandem nursing thing is going well so far - I've got the nursing-both-at-the-same-time thing down pretty well. The family bed is working well, too. We've all been getting plenty of sleep, and as of right now, are sleeping at the same time. I'll keep updating this of course...

Adventures in Childbirth - Part 2

2010-07-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Still no baby...still waiting...

Progress is being made, I suppose. Dilation, as of Monday, was 2cm. That's something, right?

So it looks like I may be making it to my due date after all - whichever date that may be, the 4th, 5th, or 6th. Maybe longer. Who knows? I'm still having contractions, and they're there all day long. Sometimes I'll go for hours with regular contractions 5 minutes apart. Then they'll stop or at least slow down for the next few hours. Maybe I'll be lucky and just labor like this all week long instead of super-painful, quick laboring all in one day! That would be ok. That would be well worth it, I suppose.

In the meantime, we are ready for her. I was in a crafty mood again today, so I hit up Jo-Ann for some elastic ruffles and fabric flowers for making headbands. Haven't made them yet, but I bought the stuff. One step at a time! Maybe it will give me something to do while I'm in labor...

We have our birthing pool, brought out of storage. We have the pump to blow it up. Unfortunately, we're not quite sure how we're going to fill it...last time we used a hose with a connector that attached to our faucet. This time, we don't have the connector, and our faucet is weird so it wouldn't work anyway. I guess we'll have to do buckets. Lots and lots of buckets.

Aside from that little hiccup I think we're all set. We've got our birth kit ready with all our supplies. We've got plenty of clothes for her. I got an extra waterproof wool pad for our bed (half-price remnant at Jo-Ann - score!). Now all we need is Ruby!

Adventures in Childbirth

2010-06-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

With Leonidas, it was pretty simple. I went to my appointments, found out I wasn't dilated, not really having many contractions, went home and waited. Then suddenly one day, my water broke, I started having contractions, they got stronger, and I had a baby.

Ruby Jane...why can't you be like your brother? I've stopped jumping on the "I think I'm going into labor" wagon and just started dealing with the fact that I'm going to continue to have contractions for the rest of my life with no baby to show for it. She's never coming out. I go to my appointments. I find out I'm very slowly dilating (about 1 cm as of yesterday). I'm having semi-regular contractions that are sometimes painful, sometimes close together, and never leading to anything significant except a backache. When's the baby coming? No idea. Could be tonight. Could be four weeks from now. Who knows? I'm pretty sure that when she does finally decide to show up, I won't believe it until I see her head popping out. Then she'll look at me, as if to say, "Mommy, why weren't you ready for me?" To which I will reply, "Let me tell you a little story about a boy who cried, 'wolf'..."

Leonidas Update - 12 months

2010-04-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been a lonnng time since the last update. Let's see...

Walking! Leonidas took his first two steps at 7 months...then would only take one or two steps at a time for two months after that, lol. He officially started walking at nine months - by which I mean, he took seven steps one day and has been running ever since!

Throwing and kicking a ball: He's been doing this since about 10 months. Such an athlete!

Teeth: He now has 10 teeth. Yes, he's still nursing. No, it doesn't hurt.

Speaking of nursing: We're still going strong. He's still nursing on demand, which is several times a day (I don't count). He just snacks all day - a few minutes here and there - and only has "meals" at naps and bed time. I wonder how he'll react to me nursing the new baby...

Baby-Led-Weaning: We have been doing BLW since about five months. I absolutely love it and will never do purees or cereals after this experience. He eats everything. It's been so nice not to have to spoon feed him or deal with solid-food-introduction bowel problems. He can join the family at meals and we all get to eat together, which is priceless. Of course, saving money on baby food is also a plus. Now if only restaurants would have something other than pizza, macaroni and cheese, and chicken nuggets on their kids menus...it's really nice that he will eat healthy meals like steamed vegetables and seafood, but it sucks to have to spend $15 on a meal for my one-year-old, even if I do have leftovers.

Baby's First Piercing: Leonidas got his ears pierced last weekend! He was so brave and only cried for a few minutes (thanks to mommy, the human pacifier). We've decided to make it a tradition to get all our children's ears pierced when they reach the one-year mark - their first "coming of age" ceremony, so to speak. I know that even more people will think he's a girl now, but we did our best to make them look manly - he put in 16-gage labret studs facing backwards so the flat disk is on the front, which is a bit more masculine in my opinion. He wears them quite well, actually :)

Talking: We've had a bit of a language explosion lately. He now knows how to say about 40 words consistently and learns more every day. He favorites are "flower" (followed by "mmm" and leaning forward to smell the flower - or plant, tree, grass, as the case may be), "book" (his favorite past-time), "bird" (a new fascination), and "banana" ( I usually have to spell this in front of him, otherwise he will be terribly upset if he can't have one).

I'm sure there are more, but it's late and I'm tired, so here's where it ends for now. :)

EC Update - 12 months

2010-04-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

A year has gone by, and we are still EC survivors :) Leonidas has had his share of potty strikes, but right now, we're in a pretty good spot (knock on wood). He's talking more now, and so he can tell us when he needs to go (when he feels like it). I was so proud of him today. This afternoon, he came inside and said "ba ba" (which is Leo-speak for "pee pee") and took out his little potty seat and tried to set it up on the floor, lol. I took him to the potty and he went :) Then, this evening, while sitting in his high chair, he pointed to the bathroom and said "bope" (aka "poop"), and did just that when I took him in there! I think this cancels out the peeing-on-the-floor incident from this morning :/ I've only really been home one day since I've stopped working, so I'm not quite sure how the day usually goes, but I'm guess we have about 2-5 misses per day on average. Since he probably pees at least a dozen times a day, I guess that's not bad for a one-year-old! Sometimes he tries to tell me that he has to go and I don't realize it until after the fact, but mommy's learning, too. The great thing is we're communicating, and most of the time I just "know" when he has to go (even though I ignore the feeling at times, not being sure of myself). I feel so close to him, being able to know what his needs are and meeting those needs. More than anything, I think that's the point. Pee on the floor once in a while is not a big deal, but feeling this close to your child is unparalleled.

Yes, I'm still here...

2010-04-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've written anything here in months. I'm not dead. Really. I'm just busy - too busy living life to write much about it I suppose :) Anyway, where were we...

Leonidas is now a year old! That went by so quickly. I'm not sad about it. I'm loving every moment of it. I love where he's at and I'm looking forward to where he's going. He's grown so much and is so smart. I'm so proud of him!

I'm graduating in one week! There's really not much else to say about that except: Whew!

I guess I'm a stay-at-home-mom now for a while. I love it! Don't get me wrong; I liked my work and I think I do a pretty good job at what I do, but I love being able to be home with my hubby and my baby :D

So our little Ruby Jane is on the way in a little over two months. If her in-utero activity is any indication of what she'll be like on the outside, I'd better start working out now! She's going crazy in there, and I'm so huge, I often wonder how I'll ever make it to nine months.

Ok, so I guess that counts as an update, in a nutshell. Let's see if I can keep this up from now on...

Pasta Arrabiata with Sausage

2009-08-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb. Bulk Italian Sausage
1 Mayan (Sweet) Onion, sliced
6-10 Garlic Cloves, sliced
1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
1 tsp. Basil
2-3 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 lb. Whole Wheat Pasta
Olive Oil
Salt
Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and brown sausage. Add onions and cook until they begin to color (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, tomatoes, basil, and red pepper. Cook 10 minutes until sauce has been reduced by 1/3. Cover and cook 5 minutes more until onions are soft. Season to taste with salt. Serve sauce over pasta with parmesan cheese.

Leonidas Update - 4 month dr. appointment

2009-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Leonidas had his four-month appointment today. He is 25 1/4 inches long and weighs 20 lbs. 7 oz.! :O Yes, he's a mighty boy. He is just above the 75th percentile for height and head circumference and WAY above the charts for weight. The Dr. loved the idea of baby-led-weaning and said she was going to suggest it to some of her patients. She advised continuing to exclusively breast-feed until 6 months, but that offering him food the way I have been is great.

He got two shots today and didn't even cry at all for the first one and cried for about 3 seconds after the second one. What a brave kid! He is in perfect health and doing just peachy :) Here's to fat and healthy children!

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

2009-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

1 Whole chicken
4-5 garlic cloves
1 large Mayan onion, peeled and quartered
8 medium potatoes, quartered, peel left on
3 cups water
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mince garlic cloves. Clean chicken and loosen skin on breast and legs. Stuff garlic under skin and distribute evenly. Rub entire chicken with butter and place in roasting pan. Surround with potatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Pour water into pan and roast at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Roasted Sweet Onion Potato Salad

2009-08-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

I used the left-overs from my roasted chicken with potatoes and onions the night before. If you want to make it without left-overs, just roast quartered potatoes and onions at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

4 roasted potatoes, diced
1 roasted Mayan onion, quartered
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 green onions, diced
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put the roasted onion in a food processor, along with the vinegar, olive oil, and brown sugar. Process until smooth. Pour over diced potatoes and green onions. Add salt and pepper. Chill at least 1 hour.

Left-Over Chicken Salad

2009-08-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so last night I made roasted chicken with potatoes and onions, so this is what to do with the left-overs.

1/2 roasted chicken
7-10 green grapes, cut in half
1/2 granny smith apple, diced
1 green onion, diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Dash of red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Take the chicken off the bone and dice. Combine with the grapes, apple, and onion. Add mayonnaise (the amount is up to you, depending on how much mayo you like), vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least an hour, and serve on whole wheat rolls.

Tzatziki Sauce

2009-08-11T23:31:00.000-07:00

2 cups of yogurt
2 cucumbers
1 garlic clove
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. dill
Salt

Strain the yogurt through a double thickness of cheesecloth for at least 2 hours. Peel, seed, and dice the cucumbers, sprinkle with salt, and let sit in a colander to drain while the yogurt is draining. Put cucumbers, garlic, yogurt, vinegar, oil, and dill in a food processor or food chopper and process until well combined. Add salt to taste.

EC - 18 week update

2009-08-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

I think we're nearing the end of our potty strike. Supposedly they go through those when they are about to reach a big milestone, and since Leo sat up last week, I guess they were right. We only had 2 misses today, so I'm pretty happy about that. He's actually been signaling again, and I've been paying attention a lot more as well. It seems easier when we're out and about - not sure why. Maybe it's because I don't want to look like an idiot in front of strangers, lol! He's even been going for quite long car rides (30+ minutes) without wetting, so maybe his bladder's growing a bit. I sure hope so! Taking him to the potty 20+ times a day can get a little old. I'm just glad we're communicating again.

Leonidas Update - 18 weeks

2009-08-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

New this week:

Sitting up! - Leonidas can now sit up all by himself :) He still falls sometimes, especially when he's trying to reach for something, but he's pretty much got the hang of it.

Pushing up on all fours - He's mastered this a handful of times, then face-plants into the floor :/ But it's a start...

Driving - yeah right. But he can reach the floor now in his walker (that looks like a car) and he pushes himself up in it. He hasn't figured out how to make it move yet, but he's trying.

And he found his tongue. He's been sticking it out at us all week.

Vegetable Lasagne

2009-08-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

One box of whole wheat lasagne noodles
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
8 medium-sized mushrooms
1 Mayan (sweet) onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 15-oz. container of ricotta cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Olive Oil
13 X 9 inch baking pan

Cook the noodles until done, drain, and lay flat on pieces of foil so they don't stick together.

Cut the zucchini lengthwise in half, then cut in long, lengthwise slices. Do the same with the eggplant. Peel and slice the onion and slice the garlic. Slice the mushrooms. Place the zucchini in one layer on a microwave-safe plate (in batches) and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Do the same with the eggplant and onion, cooking the onion for 5 minutes instead of 3. Set aside with the mushrooms and garlic for assembling the lasagne.

To make the sauce, melt the butter over low heat until melted. Do not disturb the butter while it's melting or it will begin sizzling and might burn. Add the flour and whisk. Cook, whisking occasionally, over low heat for 5 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble: Grease bottom of pan with olive oil. Lay 6 lasagne noodles to cover bottom. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta cheese over the noodles. Layer 1/2 of the eggplant, 1/2 of the zucchini, 1/2 of the onions, 1/2 of the mushrooms, and 1/2 of the garlic. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and pour over 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat to make another layer. End with one layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the other 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil, cover with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, uncovering during the last 15 minutes to brown.

This is what's for dinner tonight. Don't try it until I've had a chance to tell you how it turned out, haha! It was actually supposed to have spinach in it as well, but I forgot to put it in. It would probably be a lot better with it, though. I'm seriously, like, really mad at myself for that...

Leonidas update - milestones and such

2009-08-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

New this week:

Rolling over! Leo finally rolled over from his back to his tummy this week. He thinks it's a great game now, and since he hates to be on his back, he does it all day long. He still hasn't mastered going from tummy to back yet. I think he's either too fat or he just likes being on his tummy too much!

Crawling - ok, well not yet. But he's creeping, anyway. He gets on his tummy and inches forward, sometimes with his butt straight up in the air, which is hilarious. He can't get on his hands and knees yet, but he's almost pushed himself up there on occasion, so I don't think it will be long. For now, he's got this sort of hopping-army-crawl going on. He's moving, but it's slow-going, and he gets so frustrated with himself!

New food adventures: We began offering solid foods during the last few weeks. He's been given bread, french fries, chicken nuggets, and broccoli. Mostly he just takes it and doesn't know what to do with it, but this week he's figuring it out. He sucked the life out of a french fry a few days ago and chewed the hell out of some broccoli last weekend. He LOVES the broccoli (good boy!) and is moderately impressed with chicken nuggets.

Sitting on the potty by himself - he can now sit there for quite some time without assistance. I still have to be there though because he can't catch himself if he goes backward. Earlier this week I let him go for a second and he ended up flipping over backwards with the potty landing on top of him. He was not amused.

"All Done" - As many of you may or may not know, I'm not big on baby sign language. There are conflicting reports about whether it enhances or delays speech, so until I find more convincing evidence, it's just not my thing. I am, however, attempting to show him the sign for "potty" (I think it's actually "toilet") and "all done." He began signing potty a week or so ago, although not consistently, and this week he did "all done" a few times. Since he's taken to blowing raspberries in an attempt to communicate his elimination needs, I figured I'd help him out by giving him more specific gestures so I know the difference between "I'm playing" and "I have to pee."

"Pfthththth" - oh yeah, and he found his lips. My whole house is now covered in baby spit. Lovely.

Join us next week for (hopefully) more fascinating updates!

EC - 16 week update

2009-08-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a little late, but here it is. EC adventures - not as good as last week started out, I must admit. We have anywhere between 2 and 10 misses per day. I started keeping track of when he goes. It turns out he pees 20-24 times a day, and poops 15-20 times a day! So I guess half a dozen "misses" isn't really all that bad. He is seriously on the potty every 15-30 minutes when he is awake. He usually sleeps through a 1-3 hour nap without wetting, so that's good. He's only woken up wet a handful of times, and that's when he woke up slightly, peed, and went back to sleep, so at least he's not actually going in his sleep. I really need to get a waterproof pad though. I put him on a fleece blanket, which works really well - when he stays on it. I am so tired of washing my sheets, lol. But it beats washing diapers for sure! Now if only we could get those teeth to finish coming in - maybe we could go back to normal...

Whole Wheat Waffles

2009-07-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

1 cup white, unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. honey, sugar, brown sugar, or agave nectar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter or vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream, yogurt, or buttermilk
3/4 cup milk

Whisk together dry ingredients - flours, sugar (if used) baking powder, baking soda, and salt - in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs. Add sour cream (or yogurt/buttermilk) and milk (along with honey or agave, if used) and whisk thoroughly. Add melted butter and whisk until well-combined. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until just moistened. It should be lumpy and it is ok if there are a few small dry spots. Cook on preheated waffle iron. I made these for dinner last night and added some blueberries - they were oh-so-good! :) Yes, there is a LOT of butter in them (two sticks), but it is so worth it. You can use less butter (1 stick) for softer, fluffy waffles, but using 2 sticks makes them dessert-quality scrumptiousness!

The Cold That Wouldn't Die.

2009-07-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

I know. Sounds like Mystery Science Theater 3000 fodder, right? Seriously, this cold just will not quit - Leo's, I mean. He's had this terrible cough for a week now. He's usually ok during the day, but will have coughing fits at night and in the morning and they just won't stop. He goes until he's out of breath, then he cries. And not just any cry; he does THE LIP and looks at me like, "Mommy, why?" It breaks my heart. I just want to hold him and make it all better. I guess it's getting gradually better, but it's still there and it sucks. I'm just so sad knowing that it's gonna be like this for the rest of my life. Experienced mammas, help me out: What do you do when you can't make it ok?

EC - 15 week update part 4

2009-07-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

What happened to my happily ECing baby?!? Oh, this afternoon was terrible. He kept peeing on me, and he actually pooped on me once. He NEVER does that. He is teething pretty hard, so I'm sure that's it. The signs were just gone - no warning at all.

But on a better note, we had our first diaper-free outing today! We went to a worship service at church this evening in his training pants. About 4 or 5 trips to the bathroom in 3 hours, but no accidents! Yay :) We would have been fine on the way home as well, except the dumb-asses at McDonald's were SO slow - ridiculously so - and he wet in the drive through line. He then began to scream so much I had to take him out of the car seat and put in on my lap while I waited for my food. I parked and changed him and then he was fine. Poor thing. He tried so hard!

Then tonight, whilst we were sitting on the couch, he did the sign for pee-pee! :D I put him on the potty and he peed! I was so happy, it made all the extra laundry worth it.

EC - 15 week update part 3

2009-07-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Alright, alright, so my over-confidence in the last few posts has taught me a lesson.

Haha, God, very funny.

I was peed on no less than half-a-dozen times yesterday. Even at that, we actually made it to the potty at least 10 times, which means this little bugger is peeing about 16-20 times a day! I guess it's safe to say he's eating enough. Interestingly enough, I haven't missed a poop in over three days - probably longer. Yay us! Today has been much better. Only one accident this morning, just as I was taking him to the potty, and one overnight. Not too bad :) The funniest thing is he got his butt from my side of the family (poor thing) and it's such a bubble butt his undies don't cover it, lol! My GOD it's freakin' cute as hell! Totally the best part about ECing, lol.

Have an opinion? Write a blog, but leave me out of it!

2009-07-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

I am so sick and tired of everyone telling me that I am doing everything wrong with my child! Everything I do gets some kind of criticism, or at the very least, condescending skepticism. I really don't want to hear it anymore.

I don't keep my baby on a schedule. I know your baby goes to bed at 6:30pm and sleeps until 10:00am. Good for you. As for me, I don't force my baby into a schedule. I like to think his needs come before my comfort, but hey, that's just me.

I use cloth diapers and elimination communication. No, it's not a hassle to wash them, and at least I'm not polluting the world with human feces in landfills and chemicals used to manufacture disposable diapers. In addition, elimination communication is not really infant potty training, but that's apparently all anyone understands so I bill it as such. I am not training my baby to go to the bathroom through EC any more than I am "training" him to eat by breastfeeding. He just does it naturally. Really. I'm just not "diaper-training" him like most people in this country do, and then wonder why they have such a hard time "potty training" when they've constantly reinforced elimination in a diaper for two years. Yes, it's a commitment. Yes, they DO have some control over their bladder and bowels from birth. No, it is not "mommy training". It is simply communicating a need and fulfilling it. You can laugh and call me ridiculous all you want, but I don't remember the last time I changed a poopy diaper and my 3-month-old has not worn a diaper in three days. How much money have YOU spent on diapers this week? Yeah, so shut up.

I breastfeed my kid. I breastfeed in public without a cover, because I don't think it is obscene, and neither does the state of California. If this offends you, stop staring. I shall continue to breastfeed him until he weans himself, whenever that may be. I will not force him to wean by any means. If that means that I will be nursing a 5-year-old then so be it. He's not gonna be chewing on your tit, so what do you care? Back off.

I intend to practice baby-led weaning. I will not be giving my baby cereal or pureed "baby food." He can eat regular solid food like everyone else. That's what he was intended to do. That's what God made teeth for. Babies can't move food from the front of their mouths to the back before they can chew, and they can't chew before they can pick the food up and put it into their mouths themselves, so if I allow him to naturally follow his own development, there should be no problems. I happen to think that letting him control what goes into his mouth is better and safer than shoving pureed foods down his throat and teaching him that he does not have to chew his food.

And since he is breastfed, he DOES have to be fed more often. Babies are actually efficient at digesting breast milk, so no, it doesn't last long. The fact that he is eating every hour or so does not mean he is not getting enough from the milk!. He has been gaining weight at a rate of almost 1 lb. per week. Trust me, he's getting PLENTY of food. I don't need to supplement with cereal early just because he's frequently hungry. He is hungry because he's growing. That's what most babies tend to do. He will not die without cereal. I promise.

I don't carry my baby around in a car seat everywhere. I wear him or carry him in my arms, because I realize that wearing or carrying your baby has tremendous benefits on his cognitive and psychological development. Not only does it assist him in forming proper attachments, it also helps him learn balance and movement, which drastically improves physical and cognitive development. I know it's inconvenient at times, and he is getting heavier, but at least I'm getting a workout and losing that baby weight. Besides, his brain and muscle function are a little more important than my convenience anyway. I'm not asking you to carry him, so leave me alone.

I do vaccinate my baby, but I do not intend to give him all the vaccines recommended, and I delay many vaccinations. He's not going to die from any STDs as a baby and he's not going to give your child some deadly illness just because he hasn't been vaccinated for it. Measles doesn't just appear out of thin air - it has to be contracted from someone, and when was the last time you saw a kid with measles? I've researched the risks, and by "research" I don't mean talking to my pediatrician about it. I'm not going to explain my reasoning to you. If you think my kid is gonna give your kid diptheria then stay away from him. It's probably for the best anyway.

I co-sleep with my baby. Lordy, Lordy, God save her soul! Don't go preaching to me about how "dangerous" that is. If anyone cares to actually READ the studies, rather than just quote what they've heard, they will see that bed-sharing is only dangerous if one does not take the same precautions one would take under ANY sleeping conditions. If you are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and make sure your baby can't be strangled by loose bedding or wedged in between pillows or mattresses and headboards, co-sleeping actually DECREASES the risk of SIDS. Bed-sharing helps to regulate an infant's heart rate and respiration and allows the mother to wake more easily if something is wrong with the child, in addition to facilitating breastfeeding and reinforcing good sleeping habits. So wipe that shocked look off your face and let me sleep!

Of course, I AM planning to have my next child at home as well. Don't even approach me on this one. You will not win. That's a whole 'nother blog. Go read it.

So yeah, just stop condemning me and let me raise my child. I have enough stress trying to take care of a baby - I don't need your constant bitchy comments as well.

Thanks.

EC - 15 week update part 2

2009-07-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Alright, so last night we had 2 accidents - which were really just a case of me not wanting to get my lazy ass out of bed and hold him on the potty, so I let him pee and just changed him right away. We've also had 2 accidents this morning already - one was my laziness, but the other I didn't even expect. He peed on me right as he started nursing. He almost never goes while nursing, unless it's the middle of the night and he's not really "awake". I chalked it up to being sick. Poor little thing is still getting over this chest cold that mommy gave him. His cough just won't go away, and he is so congested. I keep saying if it gets any worse I'm going to take him to the doctor, but it hasn't gotten any worse. It just hasn't gotten any better, either. He's napping right now, so we'll see how the rest of the day goes...

Raw Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

2009-07-21T00:17:00.001-07:00

Ok, so for those of you who know me, I am NOT vegan by any means. I do like me some meat and dairy. However, since the a/c has been broken, I have had to be creative. Thus, the raw food kick lately. Here is a little something I whipped up last week. It still needs some tweaking, but will do for now.

Crust:
3 cups raw pecans
5 medjool dates
1/4-1/2 cup agave nectar

Process pecans in a food processor until they are finely ground, but not forming butter. Add the dates and process until they are finely chopped. With the machine running, add the agave nectar. I didn't measure this, so add it until you can press the mixture together and it holds together nicely. Press this into a spring-form pan that has been greased with coconut oil. Set aside.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews or macadamia nuts
Meat from 1 thai coconut
1/4 cup fresh coconut water
Approx. 1/2 cup agave nectar
Vanilla (extract or scraped vanilla bean)

Process the cashews or macadamia nuts until they are finely ground. Add the rest of the ingredients except agave nectar, and process until mixed thoroughly. With the machine running, add the agave nectar (again, I didn't measure, so add until it's sweet enough to your liking). Pour into the pan and spread over crust.

Topping:
1/4 cup raw carob powder
Agave nectar

Add agave nectar to carob powder until thin enough to drizzle over the cake.

Sprinkle with fresh raspberries and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

DO NOT drop the entire cake upside-down on the carpet like I did. :)

EC - 15 week update

2009-07-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here's how the Elimination Communication adventure has been going. We started this from the day Leonidas was born, and so far, so good. We began by holding him over the potty, which was great with a 6 lb. 8 oz. baby. Ten weeks later - at 15lbs. 1 oz. - not so much. So, for the sake of my back, we decided to get him a potty. We got the Baby Bjorn Little Potty, and he LOVES it. He peed in it the first time we tried. That was easy...or so I thought.

The biggest problem has been figuring out his "cues". He began by crying a certian way when he had to go. Then he moved on to hitting me - hard. That was pretty easy to read - until he began hitting EVERYTHING as a way of playing. So we decided to teach him the sign for "pee-pee", which is working well. He has signed pee-pee a few times, but usually just gies me a certain "look" when he has to go. Lately, we've been going more on timing than anything else. He goes when he wakes up and right after he eats. He alsu usually goes during a feeding - he comes off the breast and looks at me like, "Well, take me to the potty, and hurry up about it!"

Today we went 24 hours without a diaper for the first time, and last night was his second night diaper-free, with no accidnets. Yay! Only two accidents today, which, for a three-month-old, is not bad! Tonight he's sleeping away again, and so far, no misses. We got him a bunch of tiny underwear and a few pairs of training pants. He looks so grown up in his little boxer-briefs, laying next to daddy on the bed. I don't want to fall asleep every night - I just want to look at them both. They are so precious to me. I can't believe how much my little boy is like his daddy! I'm so blessed to have them both, and I don't thank God nearly enough.

Why I'm such a home-birth nut...

2009-07-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant and I told people that I was going to have my baby at home, I got one of two responses: "Wow, you're brave," or, "Yeah, that sounds like you!" I wasn't really sure how to respond to either of these. What I really wanted to say was something like, "No, I'm not brave. In fact, I think the women who have their babies in the hospital are braver than I am." Of course, that would have sparked a full-blown dissertation on the safety of home birth and the dangers of hospital births, and I really was never up to that, what with the morning sickness and all. Of course, I'm not sick anymore...

So let's talk a little about homes, births, hospitals, and paranoia. I'll get to each one in turn. It's quite obvious that the comfort factor of the home birth is unrivaled. Be it ever so humble...you get the idea. There are no I.V.s, no hep-locks "just in case", no fetal monitors, no elastic girdles, no hospital gowns, no adjustable beds, and no interference from the woman laboring down the hall. What is there in a home birth setting? Whatever you want! Candles? Incense? Your own bed? You got it. Your baby is monitored intermittently, which (according to every study on the matter) is equally as effective as continuous monitoring, but has a LOWER rate of c-sections. That is because there is such a margin of error for misinterpreting the fetal monitor readings and thinking the baby is in distress when it's really just going through normal birth. So there's a plus.

Of course, you CAN have just about all these things in the hospital as well, if you're up for a fight (or just happen to be lucky enough to find a mom-friendly hospital). But there is one thing present in a home birth that will NEVER be found in the hospital. Know what it is? GERMS! That's right - YOUR germs, to be exact. You know, the ones you've been getting used to for months and months and building up an immunity to. You make antibodies to fight off the harmful germs in your own house, and you pass those on to your baby. So no matter how "clean" the hospital is, unless you've lived there throughout your pregnancy, you're not immune to what's out there. What you ARE immune to are the germs in your very own home, and since that is what your baby is exposed to during a home birth, HOORAY, no infections! I know, I know, I'm stepping on a LOT of toes, but it really just make sense to me. Why would I want to take a newborn baby - whose immune system isn't functioning on its own - into a big building full of sick people? Whose brilliant idea was this? I can't tell you the number of people I've known or talked to whose babies have had MRSA. This is a hospital infection, everyone. You don't get it from your house. You get it in places where they've killed off all but the strongest of bacteria and thus created an army of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that you can't get rid of. This is exactly why I no longer have antibacterial products in my home. You can't kill them all, and if I'm going to have bacteria all around me, I want them to be weaklings! I shall not be exposing my newborn to staph any time soon.

And we won't even go into the statistics on the OUTRAGEOUS rates of c-sections and unnecessary interventions in hospital, or the astonishingly high rate of injuries and deaths caused by medical intervention (the stats on that one are hard to find, but they ARE out there). Seriously, a 40% c-section rate is ridiculous.

"But what if something goes wrong?" I love this one. You know, it takes 20-30 minutes for them to prep for surgery when you need an "emergency" c-section. If you live less than 30 minutes from the hospital, you can call when you leave, and they'll be all ready for you when you arrive. Same waiting period. Either way, if you need help in less than 30 minutes, you're screwed, even if you're in the hospital. And that's IF you need one. There are so many things you can do for various "complications" (as they are often erroneously called) that don't require surgery or panick. Seriously, people need to relax.

Now I'm not one of those people who think that doctors are just out to "get you." I don't think that at all. They really do want to help. I think the problem is no one told them that birth is not a medical condition. They are trained to help when things go wrong, and of course, they want to be helpful, so they tend to see things that maybe really aren't there - or aren't what they appear. I've done it, myself, in other areas. It's hard to feel helpful when there's nothing to fix! It's only natural - of course, so is childbirth. We have all been trained to think of birth as a medical emergency. Thank television and cinema for that! Most doctors have never even seen a normal, natural birth. It simply is not their area of expertise. Midwives, on the other hand, ARE trained specifically in natural childbirth. A certified nurse midwife has a Master's degree that includes years of training in birth only. Doctors have a rotation for a little while and then move on to something else. They simply do not have the training necessary to assist a natural birth. Just because they have the "higher" degree does not mean they are right for the job. When my car breaks down, I don't take it to a neurosurgeon! I take it to my mechanic who, although he hasn't had as much "schooling" as the neurosurgeon, is the expert in fixing my car. It's just common sense. Midwives do normal birth - doctors do surgery and emergency fixes. Go to the one that specializes in what you're going to do!

When I recently went to the emergency room (for an unrelated ailment) the triage nurse asked me if I had a primary care physician. I said that I didn't and she asked who my O.B. was. I replied that I didn't have one. With a confused frown, she asked, "Who delivered your baby?" "I did," I said, "after all, I carried him. Ain't no one else gonna have him for me!" She kind of laughed a little and just said, "wow," like I had accomplished some great feat of daring and bravery. I am not brave. I like to think I played it safe by having a home birth. I didn't do it because I wanted to be a "hero" or because I wanted to "prove something." I did it because I wanted my baby to be born in the safest place, in the safest manner, and with the best of care. I did my research, and I made my decision. Women have been having babies at home for simply dozens of years and the human race has not died out.

I am, indeed, a "hippy jungle girl" (as I like to refer to myself) and think life would be wonderful if we just lived a little more simply and didn't get so worked up over little things. If having my baby at home makes me brave, then having a baby in the hospital must make one a superhero, and you couldn't pay me enough to do it! If home birth is safe, comfortable, relaxed, simple, natural, and beautiful, then yes, home birth definitely "sounds like me," and I consider that a compliment.

Leo's 2-month check up

2009-07-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

Three weeks late, but oh well. Leonidas weighed in at 15 lbs. 1 oz., and was 23.5 inches long! That puts him between the 75th and 90th percentile for height and off the charts for weight. No problems with my milk supply, I suppose, lol. He's a growing boy, for sure - and wearing 6-9 month clothing now (for anyone interested).

He got his first shots as well. We aren't doing all the shots, but I did want him to have a few. He got Hib, DTP, IPV, and PCV. We are not doing HepB or Rotavirus. Unfortunately, they were out of the 3-in-1 shot, so instead of getting two shots, he got four! He took it like a champ, though. He was asleep when they started, and didn't even really wake up until the second shot! He cried a little, pf course, but it lasted all of 5 seconds and then he was back out. What a brave boy!

All in all a clean bill of health. His umbilical hernia is looking much better and it should heal on its own. Some reflux problems but nothing major - lungs are clear and heart is great. He's just a healthy rolly-polly little boy!

Lea's famous potato salad

2009-07-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

2 pounds of mixed fingerling, red, and blue potatoes (I got a big bag at Costco and used a little less than half)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2-4 Tbsp. honey
Salt
Pepper

Boil the potatoes until just done - not too soft. Cut into halves or quarters, depending on how big they are. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper and mix with the potatoes and onions. Chill for at least an hour. You can adjust the vinegar and honey to your liking. Really - that's it! :)

Spinach salad with chicken, avocadoes, and strawberry vinaigrette

2009-07-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today's menu: Spinach salad with chicken, avocadoes, and strawberry vinaigrette.

One bunch of fresh spinach.
One large avocado
15 strawberries
One chicken breast
Alfalfa sprouts
1/4 cup balsalmic vinegar
1/2 cup oil (I used avocado and olive)
1 Tbsp. honey
Salt
Pepper

This serves two people. Cook the chicken breast by microwaving on high for 5-7 minutes. Cut the stems off the spinach and rinse, then let dry. Pick out 4 of the best-looking strawberries for the salad and set them aside. Put the rest of the strawberries into the food processor along with the vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Pulse until the strawberries are pureed. With the machine running, add the honey, then the oil, slowly. Divide the spinach between the two plates. Slice the chicken breast very thinly and pile in the middle of the spinach. Slice the avocado and reserved strawberries and arrange around the chicken. Put some sprouts on top of the chicken, then drizzle the dressing all around, making it look beautiful and expensive!

Almost-Veggie Burgers

2009-07-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ventured into the world of making veggie burgers. Not bad for a first try, but they were really more like veggie-burger-pancakes, based on the consistency! I like making these because you can put into then whatever you happen to have on-hand. These were "almost veggie" because I did use some left-over chili in them.

1/2 zucchini, chopped
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup bulgur
3/4 cup chili
1/2 cup cooked pinto beans
1/4 cup salsa
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 hamburger buns
1 egg
1 cup old-fashioned oats

Soak the bulgur in 2 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes, then drain. Put everything except the oats into the food processor and process until you can't tell what's in it anymore! Stir in the oats and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can add more oats if it is too thin. I don't measure ingredients so these are all estimates. Fry over medium heat in about 1/4 inch of hot vegetable oil until they are well-browned underneath, then flip and brown the other side. Now, when I did this they still were not done, so I put them in the microwave for 5 minutes, which dried them out nicely. I sered them on whole wheat buns with whole-grain mustard, mayonnaise, fresh spinach, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado. The awesome thing about them is you can put any relatively-dry vegetables you want in them, along with cooked grains like brown rice, wheat berries, quinoa, or barley. It's pretty much a left-over dish - if you grind it up enough, no one will ever guess you ate the same thing 2 days ago, haha!

Ok, let's see if I can keep this up...

2009-07-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yep, startin' up a blog, because there are simply too many hours in the day, right? Here I am, typing with one hand because Leonidas won't fall asleep anywhere else besides in my arms tonight. I know I don't really have time for this, but I will try to keep it updated. We'll see...