a most perfect lunch

This morning’s post was going to be all about apple cider vinegar, also commonly known as ACV.  I was reintroduced to apple cider vinegar this past spring because after my hospitalization and antibiotic treatment, my body was very acidic.   My naturapath recommended Apple Cider Vinegar to  alkanalize my body.   After a few weeks, I noticed a difference.  I now use it most regularly in my soups, bone broths, salad dressings,  and sometimes I just take a swig or add some to water for a little kick.

 This website  answers most questions one would have about apple cider vinegar, including  history , recipe and random uses.   It does a much better than I ever could.. So instead this post is going to be about what I had for lunch today, and dinner last night. And of course the recipe includes apple cider vineagar.  

Here are the ingredients: coconut oil, carrots, sunflower sprouts, apple cider vinegar

soft cheese, and the best packaged organic dehydrated sprouted sunflower bread ever, made by Lydia!!!!

all local -within 75 miles (except Braggs)

add 1 tbs clarified coconut oil to 2 tsps. apple cider vinegar—- pour over grated carrots and mix.  It is a most splendid and nutritious salad this way or do as I did in the “most perfect lunch,” and put in on some cheese and  bread and top with sprouts… DELISH… and super easy!

"a most perfect lunch"

The Sugar Fairie

Last weekend was Halloween:

"historical figure halloween"--- Ancient Egypt

And this week is the week after Halloween, which if often filled  with candy stories and  sometimes sick kids. Iwas hoping to avoid the latter, so I tried something new this year.

 

The Sugar Fairie

 

 

The Sugar Fairie stopped by… She took all my kids’ candy during the middle of the night, because rumor has it that she melts the candy and paints beautiful fairie scene pictures, similar to those of Robert  BelAirs.    She also left them 86 cents, 3 pieces of candy, and a book.  They loved it!!!  And so did I.”

fyi- she offers three packages, A, B, and C

A- $$$

B- gift

c= surprise, but it could be nothing

My kids chose the surprise package… and they recived two great books.   I ordered these here, which is my most favorite kids’ book catalog.

I will be calling her next year…

•  

  

  "pretty in pink"

A buckboard wagon for four

We made our way to my father in law’s house because he is a wood worker and is working on a wagon project with the kids.  Here is another reason why we love to homeschool.  Their Poppy, as he is affectionately known, is an amazing artisan woodworker.  We enlisted his help early on in this homeschool journey of ours and he has helped T make a skateboard,  an oar boat:

"the Nature Boat"

and this year’s project, is a Buckboard Wagon.  Ambitious, it was L’s idea,  since now she is a homeschooler as well. We got the designs from this company and then they adjusted them to fit their desired measurements. This project is expected to last about 10 weeks, and Poppy has broken down each week’s lesson down so that each child learns vocabulary, math, and wood working skills such as sanding, gluing, clamping, planing, cutting, etc.  I hung around today and had fun watching them work in the woodshop.  Today they cut, planed, and glued the sides together.  

cut wood for the floor and sides

SAFETY FIRST

clamping down

Today also brought some light rain… the season’s starting to change.

a million miles away…

This morning started out like most… B got up and took baby to the bathroom. He then went on a bike ride while I played with baby in bed and waited for the big kids to come into bed.  When they jumped in about an hour later, and B came home, we hung out and talked about dreams. We then got up and they got dressed for the day while I started breakfast. A scrambled egg yolk for baby, and this morning:  a special treat, in their eyes, cheerios and raw milk.  Now,  I beat myself up for buying cheerios knowing full well what they are made of and how they are made, (thank you sally fallon), but  I still love them… and so do my kids.

 After breakfast the kids got started on their school work and I put the baby down for her morning nap.  And then I was going to take a shower and tackle the morning chores, BUT today I decided to take a bath… and I don’t know why I don’t do that more often.  It felt like I was a million miles away.  It was fantabulous!!  And all it was… was a 2o minute bath.  Time enough to think some thoughts through and let the hot water and steam surround my body.

 surrender

Kid Made Root Beer

For some reason or another, despite all the warnings, we all know someone who still drinks soda, whether it is in your family, or a friend or neighbor — we all know people who cannot be without their diet coke for more than two days…Personally, it is bothersome when you see small children drinking soda because there is  just so much sugar, and that does not do a body good, as we know.  I am grateful that my own children do not like soda or juice too much. Of course, I am sure they would if given the opportunity, but I do a good job of extolling the value of real drinking water and always having it readily available, especially in their own Klean Kanteen water bottles.  These bottles are the original stainless steel containers and they were designed and are sold  by friends in my old college town.   And by the way, here is another product made by friends in Chico that is both groovy and green.

Back to soda talk:  I know a lot of people have tried kefir soda pop made with water kefir grains, and to be honest I have tried it, but am not yet a fan.  I want to try it again, and hope that my experience would be similar to that of homemade kombucha…which I now love.  However, it too was definitely an acquired taste.  So today’s post is another soda alternative for the kids and one that they can help make (if they are old enough)…  I found it in this awesome  book which we are using as part of our homeschooling science (herbs and plants) curriculum. The herb sasparilla is very healing to the liver, skin, and blood.  All of the ingredients can easily be found at a natural foods store.  

Natural Root Beer

sasparilla, water, anise seeds, and cinnamon bark is all you need.

simmer 1 tablespoon sasparilla in 1 1/2 cups of water covered for 15 minutes

add 2 teaspoons anise seeds and add 1 piece of cinnamon bark

pull of heat and steep covered for 10 minutes

strain and add 1/4 cup carbonated water

let cool

DRINK and ENJOY

The kids did all the measuring and watched it simmer on the stovetop:

It smelled so good...

And then they watched it cool and drank it up:

"kidmade root beer"

Have fun and enjoy!!

Posted as part of REAL Food Wednesdays hosted by  Cheeseslave.

 

 

REAL Breast Milk… and the next best thing.

This post is dedicated to breast milk and mamas because it truly is a real food, and mamas are the only ones that can make it.   The research has been done and most people know that indeed, “breast is best.” But what if you can’t breastfeed? Before my third baby and the complications post partum I never had to think about not being able to nourish my babies, for I had easily nursed my two older children past two years old.  So as I am sitting in the emergency room with  an i.v. shooting serious pain killers in my arm, I knew I had to come up with something. I had to give in, or so I thought.  You see I am a bit compulsive when it comes to real food and what I put in my body.  I had all three of my children (two at home) drug free, and I’m proud of that.  I never gave them formula…but what else was I going to do?  Within a period of 6 hours I could not walk, the pain was debilitating.  I remember my husband coming home and I was on the phone on all fours talking to  my midwife, trying to figure out what was going on in my body. Earlier in the morning I was enjoying tea showing off my 5 week old baby, having no idea of the storm that was taking place in my uterus, and now here I was struggling to figure out what to feed my baby. I knew I would have to give her formula because I had not pumped yet.  (I wasn’t planning on going anywhere without her) I looked at the Similac label and cringed but yet knew it had to be done and I would be home tomorrow to resume our routine…or so I thought.  

I was diagnosed with a serious staph infection in my uterus.  I stayed in the hospital for five days, and although I was on antibiotics I still nursed my baby. I had too, even though I knew it wasn’t the best, it was better than the alternative. There are many websites and books to choose from that explains what is ok to take while you are nursing. I researched here and here and cross referenced with my doctor, and found that many of the antibiotics were rated from ok to good.  I took over 5 different antibiotics,  and because of that I came down with a serious intestinal infection, c. diff,  contracted in the hospital.  Because I had so many antibiotics in my body,  my good flora  was wiped out and made me susceptible to get new germs.  I lost 9 pounds in 6 days, and had to be put on a very strong antibiotic… one that was o.k.from my  doc’s perspective, but there was contrary evidence online… I  realized that I couldn’t do this to my baby if I was still nursing.  I had to do something else!!

And so I did.  I put the word out. Why did it take me so long? Within days I had moms donating breast milk to my baby. A new dad drove 15 miles to give me milk and moms met me at the farmers’ market to give me their milk…   Oh, how blessed I felt during this difficult time.  Our families had stepped up and now our community helped as well. But the supplemented breast milk was not enough, and another friend stepped in.  

In the chaos that followed  a friend stepped up and told me about the Weston A Price formula recipe and how it was most like human breast milk.  I remember looking at it and being intimidated by the long list of instructions…

She was insistent and went out and bought most of the ingredients, and made the first batch. Our daughter loved it and it felt so good to give it to her than regular formula. I knew exactly what real food was going in there and I made it in small batches.  I knew that she was going to be fine; looking at all the ingredients and being amazed at the superfood I was making was somewhat inferior to what I produce naturally.  WHOA!!!  

So this is my shout out for Nourishing Traditions Baby Formula. If you know a mama who is unable to nurse,  help her with this recipe. Go and buy some of the ingredients and make the first batch.  After the first batch it is easy, well relatively speaking of course,  and so much better for baby.

Posted as part of REAL FOOD Wednesdays with Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Cheeseslave.

Fabulous Fall

Fall is flying by… literally as I write this the leaves are falling and the wind is blowing our ghostly Halloween decorations about the yard.  October has been a wonderful month for our family, full of lots of family time and new adventures. We started off the month with a ten day trip to the North Shore of Oahu, which was absolutely fabulous.  We stayed here, and swam with the sea turtles, seriously.

We snorkeled every day…

We tried new and exciting food… the shrimp truck and the exotic fruit tasting night:

surfed…

had our history lesson:

and just had the bestest time. I would highly recommend the North Shore in the fall.  There were less crowds, and the weather was just about perfect, that is if you like to sweat.  My health issues were kept at bay, even though I forgot my mighty probiotics.  I was fortunate enough to eat fairly healthy by going to the Farmer’s Market in Haleiwa (on Sundays 9-1) as well as to their awesome natural food store, Celestial Natural Foods.  I want to give a big shout out to Celestial Natural Foods, because it is not easy selling food in a tropical climate, and they do a darn good job of having quality “real” food on their shelves…

Although it was a tad difficult to adjust to home life post vacation Hawaii, our schedules crept back into our lives.  The kids and I were fortunate enough to go and see the King Tut exhibit in SF. I thought it was totally cool because thirty years ago, I saw the exhibit with my parents, and  here I was taking my kids to the same exhibit.  They loved it, we prepared by reading several books on the “boy king” as well as listening to the Boomerang audio cd’s, which we also love. The cd’s are such good road trip material, my kids love them, and so do I.  I describe it as NPR for kids…  

In addition to King Tut and Hawaii, we are back playing soccer, making soups, carving pumpkins, playing at the beach, and enjoying the California coast in October.  Life is good!!

 Beet Soup  (super easy)

adapted from Nourishing Traditions

peeled and chopped beets  (about 6 medium)

butter (about 4 tablespoons)

water (about 1 quart)

Place a rather large pad of butter into your soup pot and saute the beets for about a half hour. Add water.

Blend.  s& p to taste…  Add Creme Fraiche!!!  DELISH!!  p.s. my baby loves this!

“Every Picture Tells a Story… Don’t It?”

 

my daughter's "Jack O' Lantern

my daughter's version of a mountain lion looking for lunch... the duck is hiding in the pond surrounded by trees- too bad for the mountain lion.

based on a true story, my son being "chased" by a buck while riding his mt. bike on Bowen Island, B.C.

My children love their art class. She teaches them color and technique, the inspiration is endless and the creativity priceless…

D.I.Y. > REAL GRANOLA

I have noticed a trend in the granola bar area:

 

 

…hit by the recesession as well.  Make your own healthy raw granola bars without additives and  (refined) sugar.  Before I became a fan of Nourishing Traditions, I was a big fan of granola, thinking it was healthy food.  I had to think of something else to nibble on and I found this great recipe in a little book (let.)   The recipe was adapted from Kristen Suzannes’s easy RAW Vegan- DEHYDRATING book.   She does a good job presenting the information in a clear and concise manner. 

I started with her recipe and then add and subtract different ingredients.  I also dehydrate for different times for bars or bites.  I make these granola bars/bits about every 3 weeks. I think dehydrating is so cool because it is always (most times) an adventurous edible experience.  

I start with soaking my nuts from 6-8 hours.  I usually do them together and then rinse them off with filtered water. I often do the flax seeds separate so to maintain their gel.  I know there are stricter views on the soaking times, but with all my cross referencing there is a large margin of time to soak from overnight to 2 to 4 hours.  

INGREDIENTS: 

pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds- soaked and rinsed

flax seeds – soaked

hemp seeds, goji berries, raisins, coconut, cacao nibs, cranberries (these ingredients fluctuate)

dates- soaked

water, vanilla,himilayan  salt, cinnamon bark or ground- the bark gives it a unique flavor

1. blend dates/water, salt, cinnamon, vanilla
2. add to the nut blend
3. mix well with hands (clean)
4. spread on paraflex sheets and this is where experimentation comes in.  I usually set it for 125 degrees anywhere from 8 hours (softer) up to over 24 hours (harder.)  It is up to you.  
5. you can all score them into bars or bits, usually around 4 hours. I have always wondered about doing cookie cutters, but haven’t done it yet. I have tried it both too early ( soft) and too late (hard.) 

I bet some crafty mom has.  Let me know if you have seen shaped granola bars.  That could be a golden marketing idea for kids.   Up above is the granola getting ready for the dehydrator and below is the finished product in fabulous triangle bite sizes… 
Posted as part of REAL FOOD WEDNESDAYS hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Cheeseslave.

Knotty Kale Chips

A new chapter has begun… my son has learned the art of tying his own shoes… I am so excited.  He learned on his own and at his own speed.  I love this boy!!  Now–  on to some other knots.  

 

In other goings on at the house this morning the kale chips were dried overnight and came out great.  And the best part about this batch is that the kids love them.   They were not into the first few batches, but I have been trying different variations of this recipe  and they seemed to like this one the best.The secret ingredient was homemade pesto.  The basic recipe is tahini, nama shoyu, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, s&p, scallions, and water.  Blend in your blender and then tear off kale from the stalk and marinate.  SUPER EASY!!  Lay out on the sheets and dehydrate for at least 15 hours and then check…

Give it a try.  At our local stores they are going for $6.99 a bag.  SAVE  YOUR $$$$