Meatless May

Thus far in 2014, I've been meal planning a month at a time.  We've experienced many benefits to this process that could probably be their own post.  In mid-April, I began to think ahead about events, trips, and meals that would occur in the month of May.  I can't recall the exact inspiration now, but I decided to discuss with hubby the possibility of having a meatless month.  We had successfully experimented with some meatless recipes and I felt we could take on the culinary challenge rather tastefully.  To add to the challenge, we are basically dairy free in the house because we all have varying degrees of sensitivity to dairy.  So we couldn't just eat a bunch of meatless lasagna, mac and cheese, or quesadillas.

Steve and I both grew up, like most southern Americans, in steak (cubed, that is) and potato homes.  Since we've gotten married, we've loved trying new recipes and cooking methods.  Somewhere along the line, we added "Meatless Mondays" to our repertoire.  It felt quite radical at the time. :)

Being the nerds, I mean intellects, that we are, we enjoy watching documentaries of all types.  Our favorite genre is food related documentaries.  Approximately 4 or 5 years ago, we watched the movie Food Inc.  Our eyes were opened about a lot of things in the food industry.  Food Inc. is a movie I highly recommend that everyone watch.  Regardless of whether you are a foodie or what type of eating habits you ascribe to, you can take away important information from the documentary.  

Other inspiring documentaries we've watched include Forks Over Knives and Vegucated.  Both of these movies discuss veganism.  Veganism goes beyond vegetarianism to eliminate dairy, eggs, and other animal byproducts. The advantages of veganism are not only health related but also environmental:

• reducing risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity
• reducing carbon footprint created by the meat industry (fossil fuels from animals and processing facilities)
• reducing water usage from watering animals and animal feed

(Source: sustainabletable.org)  

Now don't get me wrong.  We Ate Meat in May.  We attended Steve's brother's wedding in Kansas City.  How can you go to KC without eating some BBQ?!  It was so delicious!

But what did we take away from a month of meatless meals at home?

1. We feel better after a meal that does not contain meat and especially dairy.  We leave the table satisfied but not bloated.
2. Meatless meals can be exciting to create.  We found recipes from around the world.
3. Basing meals around legumes, grains, and beans rather than meat is much cheaper.  When we purchase meat, we purchase high quality meat.  So the savings added up quickly.

What are we doing going forward?  I hope we will continue to eat mostly meatless meals.  I am not opposed to eating meat and definitely not opposed to eating eggs at this point in our culinary journey.  I am personally going to do my best to avoid red meat as I seem to have digestive issues with red meat.  We will likely plan meals with meat at least once a week.  And we will not avoid meat away from home. 

More than anything we are inspired to continue educating ourselves on what we're putting into our bodies.  We are, afterall, what we eat.  We may look back and laugh at what we thought was healthy based on the information we have now.  But at least we can pat ourselves on the back for thinking outside of the meat case and attempting a new challenge.

There's no such thing as a free lunch

We are so blessed to be spending our 3^rd summer as part of the Governor’s Scholars Program.  There are so many benefits to being involved in this community, not the least of which is not having to cook for weeks!!

At lunch and supper every day, we choose between two fast food chains, an asian station, a pizza station, a grill (hamburger/hotdog), a hot line with rotating entrees, a sandwich station, and a salad station.  While Steve and I are attempting to eat as healthy as our will power allows, we’ve had a little more trouble convincing Katie to eat a variety of foods.  Bless her heart, she is drawn to the apple & orange case every time we go to the cafeteria. So at least there’s that and a few random fruits and vegetables she’ll eat from the salad bar.

In college, one of my professors shared the economic idea that there is “no such thing as a free lunch.” At the risk of sounding completely ungrateful, I’d have to say the same applies for our family this summer.  No I don’t have to cook, or clean up the dishes, or plan the menu, or even pay for the food!  BUT, I miss cooking, and planning the menu, and purchasing the types of foods I want to eat. (notice that I still don’t miss washing dishes. J ).  So the “cost” of our luxury is not measured in dollars and cents per se.  It’s the compromising of many of our views on food.

I definitely do NOT want to come across as a food snob whatsoever.  However, Steve and I have been making changes through the years, and even moreso in the past few months, to eat what some online foodies classify as “real food.”  The definition of “real food” can mean different things to different people.  For us, it means eating foods with the least amount of ingredients (especially those we can’t pronounce), and as close to how God intended.  We often buy certified organic products because we feel that the price difference is justified by reduced health bills now and in the future.  And frankly, most organic foods taste better!

It saddens me how much American society has normalized unhealthy food choices.  Yesterday I overheard some women at a museum talking about how you shouldn’t eat bananas if you want to lose weight because bananas do not contain as much water as other fruits.  To be fair, I didn’t eaves drop on the rest of the conversation, but I couldn’t help but wonder, what do they feel is an acceptable substitute?  We are bombarded with images of low calorie, low fat, low whatever else products that contain ingredient lists longer than the Los Angeles phone book!  And we’re exposed to these ideas at such a young age, that it’s definitely an uphill battle to unlearn these habits.  From experience I can say that your body craves whatever you eat.  When I ate overprocessed foods, I craved and overindulged in overprocessed foods.  When I ate “diet” foods, I craved and overindulged in diet foods.  Now that I’m attempting to eat more whole foods, I truly do crave fresh foods.  In my opinion you cannot overindulge in fruits and vegetables when they are prepared in a healthy way.

I’m also saddened by how hard it can be at times to raise a family on real food.  At least twice in the past few weeks, complete strangers have offered Katie ice cream and cookies when she was upset about something.  Thankfully the offers have been made directly to Steve and I, and by some miracle of God, Katie either didn’t hear or decided not to protest our gracious decline.  We want our girls to have a healthy view of all food.  Ice cream, cookies, fast food, etc. can be tasty and perfectly fine to partake in on occasion (ideally less than once a week in my book).  We don’t want them to have any sort of eating disorders because we were so strict on food that they either feel ashamed to join in celebrations or go off the deep end when they are old enough to buy their own foods.  We want them to have control over their own bodies and decide which foods make their bodies feel the best.  But I am so done with the belief that we should let “kids be kids” and let them eat all kinds of junk. 

This is by no means a knock on the amazing service we are receiving in the cafeteria.  I feel that many of my complaints are merely a small example of the huge problem we have in this country with nutrition.  I could probably ramble on about this subject for days.  In fact, many people do as there are entire blogs dedicated to this topic.  And I don’t really have the energy to turn this into an activism post.  I just hope we can stay focused on our family’s goals while at home or away. 

One of my favorite blogs on real food that includes an extensive recipe index.  I also follow her on Pinterest and Facebook:  http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

Our breakfast every morning is a variation of Dr. Sears’ smoothie recipe.  Gives us so much energy and is such a tasty way to start the day: http://www.drsearslean.com/resources/recipes/#breakfasts

~Carla

Katie's Weaning

To say that the first few months of breastfeeding were HARD is an understatement.  Well, let me back up a bit.  Actually the first few days of breastfeeding far exceeded my expectations.  We started off amazingly well considering the initial obstacles we faced.  Katie was born via c-section at 12:51 pm on March 31, 2010.  My first record of being able to latch her was 4:38 pm.  According to askdrsears.com, "Studies show that newborns who have early contact with their mothers learn to latch on more efficiently than babies who are separated from their mothers in the hour or two following birth." Because we had been separated for nearly 4 hours, I made it a priority to put Katie to the breast every time she smacked her little lips.  I was thrilled and encouraged when less than 48 hours after her birth, my milk came in (breastmilk usually changes over from colostrum to mature milk between 2 and 5 days after birth).

Within a week or two, though, something just didn't seem right.  Katie was extremely fussy (partly her temperament) and I experienced intense pain.  My original goal of making it to 6 months seemed nearly impossible.  After several consultations and a couple of doctor visits, we were both diagnosed with thrush.  Even then, it took several more weeks of pain and various remedies to eliminate the infection in both of us.  Interestingly, the best solutions were the most "natural" ones: gentian violet, homeopathic drops, and diligent cleaning with vinegar.

Another element to our breastfeeding relationship early on was pumping.  I went back to work when Katie was 8 weeks old (America, get with the program on reasonable maternity leaves!).  I pumped at work twice a day and was blessed to be able to take my lunch break every single day to go nurse her at the babysitters.  Thankfully Katie took to bottles very well.  It was difficult at times to not be able to enjoy lunch dates with friends or to be able to run errands.  But I treasured breaking up my day to go cuddle with my boo.  Also, I was never able to "build a stash" of frozen expressed milk during my maternity leave because all of the milk could have been infected with thrush.  However, with a little bit of planning and a flexible work schedule, Katie was never short for milk.

Somewhere along the line, days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and suddenly Katie was a year old.  In the US, the AAP recommends breastfeeding infants until at least a year (the World Health Organization says at least two years).  We had arrived at that wonderful one year mark, and if anything, Katie showed MORE interest in nursing than less.  We had entered into the realm of "extended breastfeeding."

I poured over books and articles to educate myself on the benefits of extended breastfeeding (see some links below).  I also felt the need to arm myself with facts if I ever needed to defend what we were doing.  Admittedly, I was self-conscious about breastfeeding a toddler.  Looking back she was still so much a baby, but it didn't feel that way at the time.

I eventually resigned to not worry about what others thought and follow my daughter's lead in the weaning process.  Breastfeeding was for her afterall, so why should it matter what other opinions were?  Breastfeeding is a relationship, though; a two-way street.  Any time I was starting to feel "tied down" or antsy for forward progress, we made changes.  Katie wasn't always ready for these changes, so I occasionally had to back off until she obliged.

As of 6 months ago, Katie still nursed about once during the day and once at night.  The nighttime part was especially frustrating and exhausting for me.  Over fall break, with Daddy's support of stepping in if needed, we nightweaned.  Katie and I talked about what that would look like for about a week before we even attempted it.  She didn't put up much of a fuss, which was our indication that she was ready.

In December, we found out we are expecting our second child.  I knew that the days of nursing Katie were likely coming to an end.  Breastmilk changes over the course of pregnancy.  Some nurslings wean quickly, others don't seem to notice or care.  Katie noticed, but didn't care.  Mommy did though.  I was becoming more uncomfortable and anxious to move on from this chapter of our relationship.  With a little bit of nudging and A LOT of negotiation, we started spreading out sessions to every other day, every few days, once a week...

The last time I noted that we nursed was February 7, 2013.  Katie was 2 years, 10 months, and 1 week when she was officially "weaned."  It feels very bittersweet to say that I don't remember anything about those last few moments of such an important aspect of our relationship as mother and daughter.  On the other hand, life with Katie has continued to flow in the same way it always has.  Her cuddles are just as sweet and we are just as connected.

We would not have made it as long as we did without the support of family and friends.  You know who you are.  Thank you for not treating us like freaks (at least to our faces).  Thank you for believing that although we weren't considered "normal" for this area of the world, we were doing what was "normal" for us.  And last, thank you Katie-boo for continuing to teach me every day what it is to be your mommy.

~Carla

Helpful links for those considering breastfeeding/extended breastfeeding: 

Breastfeeding your newborn — what to expect in the early weeks

Breastfeeding Past Infancy: Fact Sheet

Weaning

Nuts about Coconut Oil!

It seems that coconut oil has been growing in popularity, especially on the "crunchy" prairie.  However, some of you may not yet be privy to the many health benefits of this oil. 

Adam and I recently had friends in town from Oklahoma.  My friend's hands were so dry and brittle they felt like sandpaper (Love you Jamie).  I love sharing natural tips with my friends, and I suggested we butter her up with coconut oil.  It took a little while to soak in, but after it did, she agreed her hands felt softer. 



Photo Source

Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical climates.  It is anti-fungal, anti-viral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and an antioxidant.  It is in solid form until it reaches 76 degrees, then it melts to a liquid. This makes it easy to use for a variety of purposes.  Coconut oil really is one of those products that can be used for hundreds of different things. 

We (Carla and I) use coconut oil for the following:

Moisturizer- body and facial
Cooking/Baking in place of hydrogenated oils and butter
Deodorant
Diaper Rash Cream- one of the few that's cloth diaper friendly
Nipple Cream when breast feeding
Hair conditioner
Shaving Cream
Eczema
Pet Care
Cradle Cap
Acne
Dietary Supplement

I recently began using coconut oil as a facial moisturizer and have been pleased with the results.  I have also used it in the past as a deodorant and in baked goods (I used it in place of butter for my sweet potato casserole and it was AMAZING).  I have also used it in my dog's ear, to treat an infection, which healed within a couple of days. 

I will link to several sites where you can find other information.  I typically buy the Virgin, unrefined, and organic variety.

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28296-health-properties-coconut-oil/
You can purchase Coconut Oil at your local grocer (Kroger sells it in Owensboro), health food store, or online here Vitacost.

~Trina

Honey Granola Recipe

The term "crunchy" in "crunchy mama" is a wink and a nudge to the use of the word "granola" to mean hippy.  So I guess every good crunchy mama needs a tasty granola recipe.  Here's how I found my favorite.

Steve and I came across a show on the local NBC station called, "The Kentucky Proud Kitchen."  This show was made for us as it combines our love of cooking, Kentucky, and local products.  A recent episode featured various recipes with local honey as an ingredient.  One of the recipes was for a simple and nutritious granola sweetened with honey.

I've been on the search for an easy granola recipe for several years.  I've focused on attempting bar types because I thought they would be the most appealing to Steve for his lunch.  He had been taking various brands of processed store bought bars as a workday snack.  However every recipe I tried either ended up stuck to the pan or too sticky to be enjoyable.

I was intrigued by the basic ingredients of the KY Proud recipe and thought I would give it a try even though the end result would be a crumbly, traditional granola rather than a bar.  I was also excited that the granola would feature local honey which is a great way to cut down on seasonal allergies and is a healthier alternative to other sweeteners.

Honey Granola:

• 6 cups old-fashioned, rolled oats (I use a combo of Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Cereal and store brand)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 ½  cups honey
• ½ cup oil (I use coconut)
• 1 ½ cups sweetened dried cranberries (or less)
• Other suggested add-ons: 1/2 cup chopped almonds, chopped all-fruit leather, shredded coconut, flax seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, and cinnamon.  Add honey and oil, mixing well to combine.  (Honey can be gently heated in the microwave to make it more fluid.)  Spread oat mixture onto a baking sheet which has been greased (I brush with coconut oil).  Bake oats for 20-25 minutes, turning mixture over with a spatula every 5-10 minutes to ensure even browning.  Remove from oven, mix in dried fruit, and return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Remove from oven, allow to cool, and transfer to an airtight container.

After letting the granola cool, I store in several different recycled containers.  I put smaller portions in old baby food jars for Steve's lunch each day.

We have all enjoyed eating this granola, or as Katie says, "granole."  Steve says that he doesn't mind that it's not a bar and thoroughly enjoys the little bit of something sweet/protein boost for his school day. 

Here's a picture of my little granola making helper sneaking a bite:

 

And here's a picture of her drying out black walnuts to hopefully be included in future granola.

 

~Carla

If You Ate Today... THANK A FARMER

Hmmm.  I saw this picture on Facebook the other day, and it got my wheels a spinning.  These days, who can we thank for our food?  More than likely, it's not the farmer down the road who grows large crops of soybeans or corn.  Should we thank McDonald's, Hamburger Helper, or Kraft?  And what should we be thanking them for?  The mistreatment of animals, unsanitary conditions, pesticides on our food?  Where do these big brands get their food?  It's certainly not the picturesque farms that we conjure in our minds.  Not the rolling hills, cattle grazing freely, rows of corn ripe and ready to be picked.  

• Two percent of livestock farms now raise 40 percent of all animals in the US. 
• In the United States, 79% of pigs are raised on farms with 2,000 pigs or more.

Facts from:  http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/

For most people, who shop at stores such as Wal-Mart or Kroger for groceries, we can thank huge, industrial OPERATIONS.  Not farmers.  Not men in overalls plowing the fields, but factories designed to maximize output.  Several years ago, Adam and I watched a documentary called "Food Inc." and it changed the way we eat forever. 

This movie opened my eyes and frankly, exposed our food system for what it truly is.  The changes we've made since then have been small, but we feel that any change is better than no change. 

Here are some simple things we can all do to try and change our food system:

1) Eat local, organic food when possible.  Shop at the farmer's market, or the organic section of your supermarket. 
2) Eat foods with less ingredients.  The less processed a food is, the healthier it is for you.  Avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store.
3) Cook your meals at home.
4) Have a "meatless" night at least once a week.
5) Raise a garden.  There is nothing like growing your own food. :)


Check out these links to learn more:

Pesticides on our food:  http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/

Environmental Impact: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/campaign/coolfoods/

Food Rules:  http://michaelpollan.com/books/food-rules/

~Trina

A shot of Apple Cider Vinegar a day keeps the doctor away

I've been using apple cider vinegar (ACV) for a couple of weeks now as a conditioner (more about that later) and have used it in various recipes over the years.  But last week I was cruising around Pinterest and found this link:

40 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

I was intrigued by the number of health benefits that ACV supposedly provides, but I wasn't sure the best way of getting my daily dose.  Trina and I did some research and found several recommendations about chugging a couple of tablespoons of ACV sweetened by raw local honey (which also provides a plethora of health benefits).  Yesterday morning we gave it a try for the first time.  We even roped the hubbies in!  And WHOA! talk about a way to start your day with a bang!!  My throat burned and tingled for several minutes. I could tell this process was going to feel more like a morning chore that I would quickly abandon and figured other people must have different methods.

So we went back to researching a more palatable way of knocking back our ACV shots.  Site after site said, "do not consume ACV without first diluting in an 8 ounce glass of water."  Oops!  But I wasn't convinced that I could stand to drink an entire glass of this pungent stuff.

So here's what I did this morning (Day 2):

• coated my tongue with a tablespoon of honey - still need to get local honey so the store brand honey bear will have to do for now.
• knocked back a shot of ACV
• quickly chased with a large glass of water

Voila!  No burn and no nasty after taste!  Now I don't claim to be any sort of medical expert, so proceed with caution if you decide to follow this process.  If I have problems with a sore throat after a few days, I'll see what changes I can stand to make and update.

~Carla

Making hand soap with Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap

I just finished making my second batch of hand soap using Dr. Bronner's Unscented Baby-Mild Pure Castile Soap. The first batch a few weeks ago seemed to be too diluted so tonight I tried an approximately 1:6 ratio of castile soap to water. Here's how I made the second batch:

1. Rinse out an empty foaming soap pump

2. Measure out about a cup of water and fill soap bottle (more or less as needed)

3. Measure out between 1/8 to 1/4 cup of castile soap and pour into bottle

4. Add essential oil for fragrance if desired - I added 4 drops of lavender. Even though I'm using the "unscented" version of Dr. Bronner's, I felt like my first batch without the oil left a putrid smell on my hands.

5. Replace pump handle and enjoy!

I had the hubby buy-off on which smell he preferred to add to the mixture. He is slowly coming on board with the natural beauty products, so I definitely want him to approve, and therefore use, what we buy or make. In addition to the natural ingredients of this soap mixture, the cost savings are HUGE! I hardly used 1 oz. of a 16 oz. bottle which costs less than $10 at most stores. That's approximately .63 per batch plus a neglible amount of essential oil. I could MAYBE get another brand on sale with coupon match-up for cheaper, but I doubt it would be as natural. Plus it's easy peezy and fun to do!

I'm going to be making more homemade cleaners with Dr. Bronner's soon so stay tuned!

~Carla