Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses

Welcome to the January 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Experiments in Natural Family Living

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have reported on weeklong trials to make their lives a little greener. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I’ll admit it: I’m always making excuses. I don’t have time to exercise. I don’t have time to eat well. I don’t have time to menu plan. I must be the busiest person in the world. I act like I always have 10 trillion things to do. And I do. But so does everyone else. How many times do I catch myself vegging on the couch, watching TV, telling myself I can do those things tomorrow? I mean, it’s not like it doesn’t happen. I justify it by telling myself I need to relax, which is true. I need some me time. But me time also should include bettering myself.

I had gotten into a rut where I was constantly working on my business. I wasn’t cooking, I wasn’t cleaning, and I certainly wasn’t exercising. We were eating pasta and grilled cheese often—lots of gluten, not a lot of veggies. When I went to visit my family for Thanksgiving, I felt awful the entire trip. My stomach just wasn’t right. I was loading up on bread and sugar, and it wasn’t agreeing with me.

In order to make a change, I decided to start menu planning. Nothing major, just writing down my dinners for the week. Ok—of course I had to make it a little major at first. I always need to start off strong. So I dedicated one Sunday to cooking, spent a ton of money at Costco, cooked my brains out, and totally overwhelmed myself. I convinced myself that there was no way I was going to do that again.

And then I ended up having to cook less during the week, but I ate great. I eliminated most of the gluten I was eating, and I ate a lot of whole foods. And the next week came and I not only spent less time cooking, I didn’t really have to spend much money at the grocery store, either. After a month of menu planning, I spent way less than my monthly grocery budget, ate well-rounded meals chock full of veggies every night, and ended up with a ton of food still in my freezer.

There are plans for Once-a-Month Cooking out there that involve a detailed list of what to buy, how to prep, and how to prepare and freeze foods for the entire month. I’m dying to try it, but I don’t want to burn out. This month, I’m working on cleaning out the pantry and freezer. Once I’m done with that, I really want to try this power-cooking business. I’ll let you know if I survive.

For now, I’ll leave you with some tips for menu planning.

1. Organize yourself and write it down – Decide where you’re going to keep your menu and how you’re going to keep track of the recipes. If it’s all in a million places, it will be hard to keep track of everything, and you’re more likely to get overwhelmed. If I find a recipe I like online, I pin it on Pinterest. That way, I know all the recipes I want to try are in one place.
   
   As for my menu planning calendar, since I most often find recipes on the computer, I have a Word doc with a monthly calendar where I write my weekly menus. Below the calendar, I cut and paste the entire recipe for anything that uses one. That way it’s all in one place. If I am using a recipe from a cookbook, I write the name of the book and the page number on my calendar. Below is a link to my entire document for December, just so you can get an idea of what it looked like. It’s not fancy. It's long. But it’s all in one place, and it worked great for me. (Microsoft Office 2010 allows you to add clickable headings into Word, so even though it's long, I can easily find my recipe titles.)
   
   
   
2. Write it down – Just the fact that I was writing things down helped me plan. How many times do you decide what you’ll have for dinner the next day, and then the next day comes around and you’ve completely forgotten? That’s how I used to live my life, and it’s stressful. Even if I lost momentum on a given week, it only took me 5 minutes to sit in front of the calendar and decide what we would eat that week. Forcing myself to do it made me much less stressed the rest of the week. Also, keep an inventory of your freezer foods (and even the food in your pantry—I’m not that motivated, but I hope to get there.) I write what’s in my freezer directly on the freezer door using a dry-erase marker. That way I can’t lose my list.
   

   

   My freezer door: ugly but functional

   
   
3. Don’t try too many new things – If you try to do once-a-month meal planning at the same time that you’re trying 10 new recipes, you’re more likely to burn out. Start off slow.
4. Don’t bore yourself – At the same time, if you plan meals that you’ve made over and over again, you might get bored. I know I would. Maybe try two new recipes each week. Finding new foods to make will keep you motivated and give you more to include in future menus.
5. Cook one meal a week for the freezer – Don’t overdo it and try to make every meal in huge batches. Freezer meals still take longer to cook – you have to prep more food, use more pans, etc. But if you choose one meal a week (or a month) to double, you’ll have an easy freezer meal to pop out when you’re really not motivated to cook.

No matter what you think, you do have time to menu plan. The few minutes that it takes to write down what you’ll be eating for the week takes time off of your daily to-do list. It makes trips to the grocery store go quicker. And cooking in bulk—even a little bit—decreases the time spent in your kitchen, giving you more time in the long run.

Check out my new printable recipe cards for Salmon Burgers and Easy Homemade Pizza from yesterday's menu planning post. I'll be updating the recipe section of my website soon, and all of my recipes will be easily printable. Keep it bookmarked for more deliciousness!

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Make your own moisturizer! — Megan at boho mama whips up a winter skin-friendly moisturizer.
• Cold Water Only — Brittany at The Pistachio Project talks about how you do not need hot water to wash laundry.
• Family Cloth... Really?? — After lots of forethought and consideration, Momma Jorje finally decides to take the plunge with family cloth.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 5-5-5 Things A Day — Luschka from Diary of a First Child writes about decluttering her home in an attempt to create a gentler living space. She takes on a new project where she sets a goal of reducing, reusing and recycling every day.
• Pros and cons of family cloth — Lauren at Hobo Mama would love to continue replacing paper products with family cloth … if she could only get over how damp she feels.
• Craftily Parenting — Kellie at Our Mindful Life finds that crafting makes her a better parent.
• Changes — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen couldn't choose just one area to experiment with, so she wrote a long post about all the fun changes initiated in her life!
• Life without Internet: Not all it's Cracked up to Be — Adrienne at Mommying My Way tries to go a week without the Internet, only to realize a healthy dose of Internet usage really helps keep this stay-at-home mom connected.
• My Progression to Raw Milk — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares her natural parenting progression all the way to trying raw milk.
• mama's new little friend. — Sarah at Bitty Bird tries a menstrual cup to "green her period," and is pleasantly surprised when she falls in love with the product!
• Before you throw it out, try homemade laundry soap! — Jennifer at Practical OH Mommy shows visual proof that homemade laundry soap is cheaper, easier, and works better than the store-bought chemicals!
• Oil, Oil, No Toil, No Trouble — K from Very Simple Secret talks about her foray into the oil-cleansing method.
• I Need a Hobby — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro couldn't decide which experiment to run, so she did them all.
• 7 days of macrobiotics for a balanced family — The Stones make a [successful] attempt to release the "holiday junking" with 7 days of macrobiotic meals to balance their bodies and souls. Elisabeth at Manic Mrs. Stone includes an explanation of macrobiotics.
• Chemical Free Beauty Challenge — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction turned to natural alternatives for her daily beauty and cleaning routine, with great results.
• Greening my Armpits!? My Green Resolution — Shannon at The Artful Mama talks about how she decided to give up her traditional antiperspirant and make the switch over to crystal deodorants and definitely isn't looking back!
• Going Raw (for a while) — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom shares her family's experience with raw food.
• Do we get to eat gluten today? — Sheila at A Gift Universe has been trying to figure out if her son does better with or without gluten in his diet … but it's really hard to tell for sure.
• Hippies Can Smell and Look Fabulous Too! — Arpita of Up, Down And Natural details her experience of going shampoo-free and overhauling her cosmetics to find the balance between feeling beautifully fabulous and honoring her inner hippie.
• Our cupboards are full...but there's nothing to eat — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud takes on the challenge of chomping through the contents of her storecupboard rather than going shopping — but there's something that she just can't bring herself to do …
• Elimination Experiment 3.0 — MudpieMama recounts the messy adventures of her baby daughter trying to be diaper free.
• Family Cloth Trial — Amyables at Toddler in Tow talks about making and using family cloth wipes in the bathroom for the first time.
• Taking a Hiatus — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares how her experience of much less internet interaction affected her family and how it will change her approach in the future.
• Trying Out the Menstrual Cup — Lindsey at an unschooling adventure ditches the tampons and gives menstrual cups a try.
• Managing Food Waste in Our Home — Tired of the holiday waste, Robbie at Going Green Mama takes a weeklong focus on reducing food waste in her home, and learns some lessons that can take her through the new year.
• Going Offline, Cloth Tissues, and Simplicity — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama muses over her time away from blogging and social networking. In addition, she shares her newfound love of cloth tissues and simplicity.

• The Oil Cleansing Method — Erica at ChildOrganics explores an easy, organic and natural way to tackle skin care.
• Experiments in Natural Family Living - Natural Toys! — Lani at Boobie Time enjoys the silence of natural toys and being more present with her son.
• Discovering a New City and Organic Foods — Amy at A Secure Base describes her family's switch to and search for organic foods for one week.
• My Experiment in Homemade Bread — Crunchy Con Mommy tried — and loved — baking her own homemade bread.
• Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses — Gaby at Tmuffin stopped the excuses and started planning her weekly meals, drastically cutting her grocery budget and stress level and improving the quality of foods she fed her family.
• My First Menstrual Cup — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children was pleasantly surprised with her first experience using a menstrual cup.
• My Natural Beauty Regime — Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares the results of banishing cleanser and soaps from her bathroom, as well as a couple of natural homemade recipes that have worked well on her skin.
• Unplugging and Creating a Rhythm: Our Experiment in Natural Family Living — Dionna at Code Name: Mama focused less on gadgets and spent more time with her family to create a healthy rhythm for the new year.
• Experiments in Natural Family Living: 5 First Steps Toward Preparing for a Natural Birth — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama discusses how she tackled the pressing matter of how to begin preparing for a natural birth.
• All you need is...vinegar! — Kristen at My Semi-Crunchy Life learns that one household product can replace all the cleaners in her cabinet.
• Nope Nada Ixnay Negative Pass Decline — Zoie at TouchstoneZ finds out what shakes loose if she says, "YES!!" to anything anyone asks of her over the space of 10 days.
• Reducing our exposure to toxins found in plastics — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins throws out the melamine and BPA plastics which have been hanging around the kitchen for too long.
• Duh! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares how she began the process of helping her 2-year-old son stop physically acting out.
• Experiments in Natural Parenting: Starting, Stopping, and Gaining Perspective — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings explains how pregnancy brain interfered with her attempts to complete an experiment, but how she gained some interesting perspective as she started and stopped several.
• From Experiment to Lifestyle — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares her experience avoiding processed foods for a month, and deciding to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
• From Disposable Paper to Reusable Cloth – AGAIN! — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops flushing trees down the toilet and switches to the softest ever butt-wiping material: cloth.
• Extra! Extra! Water Heater Turned Down, Mom Doesn't Notice! — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis finds an energy-saving experiment that's so easy she didn't even realize it was happening.
• Worm Tea — CatholicMommy isn't sure how successful her worm bin will be, but she's having fun anyway.
• Miles to Go ... — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns that when it comes to sleep debt, she's in real deep.
• My Month With Water Kefir — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries experiments with a new fermented probiotic drink homemade in her own kitchen.
• OMG Mom is Home... All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting — What a difference a week makes! Ana at Pandamoly is afforded a week off from work and takes the chance to reconnect and reattach with her 16-month-old son through an experiment in simply being there.
• Creating Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiment with healthy, gluten-free recipes and a chocolate muffin recipe that was created during the experiment.
• Adventures in Alternative Haircare: No 'Poo — This guest post at Natural Parents Network from Amy at Anktangle chronicles a months-long journey into the world of no 'poo.
• My Experiment in Natural Family Living: Natural Family Planning — Birth control options are seriously limited for those of us trying to live a little closer to the earth, so Mama Psalmist experiments with natural family planning.

Menu Plan Monday: Oops.

Scroll to the end of the post for new, printable recipe cards! 

 
Ok, so last week wasn't a total bomb, but I was a little lazy when it came to meal planning. I didn't sit down to plan my menu until well into Monday afternoon. Then, Big T told me he wanted pizza and totally threw me off. And we spent 5 hours in the ER with Little M on Monday night. That didn't help. But Big T was off from work from Monday to Wednesday, so he helped out a lot when it came to dinners.

The Plan:
Monday: Order pizza
Tuesday: Taco Salad Cups
Wednesday: Hamburger Helper
Thursday: Chicken with stuffing and mashed potatoes
Saturday: ?? (I couldn't put it together and think this far ahead.)

The Reality:
Monday: We forgot about dinner (see below)
Tuesday: Homemade Pizza
Wednesday: Soft tacos
Thursday: Salmon burgers with mashed potato croquettes (basically mashed potato finger food)
Friday: Hamburger helper
Saturday: Chicken with kale, beets, and salad

The Method:
Monday: This was a bad decision-making day for me, apparently. I couldn't decide what to have for dinner, and when Big T suggested pizza, he totally threw me off. There aren't any good pizza places near us, and I didn't really feel like making it. We finally decided to order pizza. I was on the computer, about to order online when Big T picked up Little M by the wrists, just to move him away from the bedroom door so he could close it. Little M started whimpering and didn't stop. Not even while nursing. We knew something was wrong. He wasn't moving his arm, and if we touched it, he would whimper. We spent 5 hours in the ER, just to have a doctor re-set his dislocated elbow in about 2 seconds. Little M is completely fine--he had "nursemaid's elbow," which is pretty common if you pick up your child by the wrists and not under the armpits. Luckily, he wasn't screaming in pain and he slept in the Ergo most of the time at the ER. So obviously, we weren't concerned with dinner by the time we arrived home at 1:30 A.M.

Tuesday: Today, we were going for our pizza. We picked up fresh dough from the deli at our local grocery store and got pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. We made 2 different kinds of pizza: pan pizza in the dutch oven with ham and pineapple (leftover) and a regular-crust pizza on the pizza stone.

Wednesday: I was going to make taco salad in cute little homemade tortilla cups, but I didn't do any prep work and I had a rough day. So while I went to pick Baby T up from daycare, Big T sauteed some chicken, peppers and onion in a cast iron pan with taco seasoning and wrapped them in soft flour tortillas. I also had a few small corn tortillas, which I fried in some oil until crisp to make open-faced tacos.

Thursday: I have a ton of canned salmon that I get from WIC, and I picked up a recipe card for salmon burgers the last time I was in the office. They were easy to make and I had all of the ingredients. We had also brought home leftover mashed potatoes from Mom-Mom's the Sunday before, so I transformed them into potato croquettes. Amazing. They were like mozzarella sticks, but creamier and not as rubbery. They were a huge hit.

Friday: Little M had another incident today when I was holding him and tripped over the dog. Little M hit the floor hard and bit his tongue. He also hit his head on the corner of a wall, and his head and ear were cut. Thankfully, my in-laws live in town, or I would have lost it when I noticed the blood. Mom-mom came over and checked him out, and we figured he was ok. Once Little M started dancing to the "Curious George" music, we knew for sure he was fine. By the time Big T came home from work, the kids were fine but my nerves were shot. I cooked up some breakfast sausage that I had in my freezer, added it to the hamburger helper, and called it a day.

Saturday: Can I just say that the first week of 2012 sucked? As Big T was trying to clean the kitchen before he left for work, the sink stopped draining, then proceeded to leak out of the pipe all over the kitchen. By the time Big T left, the pipes under the sink were undone, there was a bucket of murky water under the sink, and there were sopping wet towels all over the floor. (Add two cranky kids and a very cranky mom to that equation). We were saved by the in-laws once again! Plumber Joe (disguised as Pop Pop) came over and thankfully fixed it while Mom Mom helped me distract the boys.

Also quite thankfully, one of my friends replied to my pleas for company and came over for an impromptu barbecue that afternoon. Dinner was easy. We grilled chicken, sauteed some kale and beets (I used to hate beets until I had them the way my friend makes them--sauteed with olive oil, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar...a delicious beet recipe!), and had fresh salad from the garden.

The week is over. Thankfully. It can only get better from here, right?

Print out the recipes for Easy Homemade Pizza and Salmon Burgers (with homemade sauce) by clicking on the images below.

Easy Homemade Pizza Salmon Burgers

For more meal planning obsessiveness inspiration, check out orgjunkie.com!

Menu Plan Monday: Easy Holidays

Last week was an easy one for me when it came to making dinner. We only ate at home on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I decided it was time to clean out the freezer a little bit, so we ate freezer meals every night. I'm still bad at remembering to remove the meal from the freezer, so they tend to stay frozen in the middle, but I'm getting better at it.

The Meals:
(These were all from the freezer)
Tuesday: Thai chicken patties with brussels sprouts stir-fry over noodles
Wednesday: Veggie/quinoa casserole
Thursday: Flank steak and twice-baked potatoes, hush puppies

The Method:
Monday: I was really in the mood for pasta on Tuesday, so I broke up the Thai chicken patties and sauteed them in a pan while I cooked the noodles. I was supposed to stir-fry the brussels sprouts as well, but I completely forgot. They ended up getting thrown out yesterday because they were a soggy mess in the fridge. In a bowl, I combined some brown sugar, tahini, garlic, soy sauce, and sriracha (hot chili sauce). After draining the pasta, I tossed it in the bowl with the sauce. It needed to be a little saucier, so I added a few spoonfuls of the coconut squash soup I had made the week before. It was actually really delicious!

Tuesday: I forgot to take the casserole out of the freezer, so I defrosted the flank steak today. I had some hush puppy mix in the fridge that had been there for years quite some time. So I made hush puppies. They were awesome. I have to say, you have to be careful cooking the twice-baked potatoes. They can get very dry. When making them for the freezer, it would help to make the filling extra wet.

Wednesday: I actually remembered to take the casserole out of the freezer today. It was just as delicious the second time around. This one is definitely a keeper.

For more meal planning obsessiveness inspiration as well as a giveaway, check out orgjunkie.com!

Tmuffin in 2012

 I'm not a big New Year's resolution person. That's probably because I tend to make resolutions all year long, and then time passes, life happens, and I forget all about them. I don't want the added pressure of making resolutions I might not keep and feeling guilty all year. And I don't tend to like doing what everyone else is doing. ("Why am I blogging then?" you wonder. I know, right?)

My last photo of 2011

This year feels different. Instead of feeling like I have to break out on my own to prove myself, I've become enveloped in this community where everyone is feeding off of everyone else. It's like college, only with fewer vices. And my all-nighters aren't self-inflicted. The past few years have only been getting more meaningful, and this year feels like it's going to be the apex. Things are going to happen. I'm going to make them happen.

And things don't happen without goals. So here we go: My resolutions for 2012.

Be more honest in my blog - I tend to want to write content that people want to read, and I'm also a bit of a know-it-all. So I often write blog posts that make it sound like I have the answers. I've mentioned before that I don't have the answers. In case you were confused. I'm learning as I go along, and I often have no idea what I'm doing. Sometimes I do feel like an expert on a given topic. (I told you, I'm kind of a know-it-all). But sometimes I don't. I'm going to remind you guys of that more often this year.

Start exercising again - How cliche. I am so bad at finding the time to exercise. I don't prioritize it at all, but I need to. It can add years to my life. Right now, I feel like I want more time with my kids and Big T. I might change my mind when I'm 105. But I need to get my weight and my health back under control. I've also started menu planning in an effort to spend less money and eat more whole foods. I write about my menu plans every Monday, so check back for great recipes and menu planning tips and ideas.

Promote my business - I've been trying to build the Tmuffin brand for two years now. In 2011, I quit my full-time job to take care of the kids and work on my business. I've done a lot of setup and a lot of planning, but when people ask what I do for a living, I still stumble on my reply: "Um, I do a lot of stuff. To help moms. I make things, I teach classes..." I usually trail off. This is my new reply: "I run Tmuffin, a business that helps moms find their groove."

Make more art - I tell people I'm an artist, but I have spent the past year focusing on blogging and initiating my business that I've put off actually making things. This year, I need to be making a lot more art. I'll be making coloring sheets and printables, as well as educational and sensory toys for kids out of things like repurposed sweaters. I have an itch to create, and this year I have to scratch it.

Listen more and talk less - Shut up; I know what you're thinking. Especially if you know me in person. But this year is about learning, listening, and making connections. I often fail to make a true connection with people because I'm too busy talking and sharing. And I appreciate so much what other people have to share. This year I'm the one who is going to shut up.


Get more organized - I cringe as I write those very words. I am not organized. I spend as much time looking for things as I spend doing them. I try to get organized and I always fall back into my messy ways. I don't like taking time to organize or to put things away. I move from project to project, stuffing things into drawers and flinging supplies around the room. You think I'm exaggerating. I'm not.

The house is stuffed to the gills and I drive myself crazy going into four different rooms looking for the diaper cream. I'm tired of having to come up with five options every time Big T asks me to find something. I'm not one of those people who always misplaces their car keys. I just always misplace everything else.

I am going to start by having a place for everything. I want to treat my space like a blind person does, so I can just reach for something and know it's always there. If I can organize my space, I feel like I will feel so much less overwhelmed. I also need to organize my time. I made a huge dry-erase to-do list the other day, and I'm determined to use it. (Ignore the two tasks on there from Thursday that I haven't done yet). I just have to organize my time as well as my space. Maybe get on Facebook a little less or something.


Be more present and mindful with my family - Probably due to my lack of organization, I tend to always be doing 10 things at once. I often find myself getting frustrated with the kids because I can't finish a particular task that I'm working on (or several) because someone woke up early from a nap or didn't sit down to lunch. When I'm with the kids, they need to be my number one priority. They notice when my mind is all over the place, and no one benefits when I tell them "just a minute" five thousand times. Baby T is starting to notice. He now tells me "just a minute," or he tells me, "Mom! You forgot my juice!" And I do. I forget a lot of things. I need to focus, and that includes focusing more on my kids and Big T.

And that's the end of my resolution list. I'm not going to go crazy with it. This is enough for now. I can tell you right now the hardest things are going to be exercising and organizing. I should have added "hire a personal trainer and an assistant" to the list of resolutions. Oh, well. There is always next year.

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter in the sidebar to the right so you don't miss out on any of the cool stuff I'll have for you this year!

Elderberry Syrup Recipe Ideas

A few years ago I posted about making elderberry syrup and elderberry tea in an attempt to stave off winter colds. This year, after having a cold last week and a new cold this week, I’m back in elderberry mode. Elderberry has been used for centuries to help fight viruses. Elderberry contains vitamin C and flavonoids, which have immune-boosting properties. If you get the flu, taking elderberry syrup can shorten the duration of the illness to just three or four days.

Here's the really cool part: elderberry increases the body's production of cytokines, proteins that help regulate the immune system by communicating when it needs to attack and when it needs to chill out. Even if you're not sick, taking elderberry syrup can strengthen your immune system so it's ready to respond if you're subjected to a rogue germ or virus.

Elderberry syrup can be purchased at the drug store, grocery store, or health food store, but it’s cheaper to make your own, and it’s simple to make.

Ingredients:
½ cup dried elderberries (I get mine at Mountain Rose Herbs)
4 cups water

Directions:
Start by putting ½ cup of dried elderberries with 2 cups of water in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, then continue to simmer at medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir it every once in a while. You don’t want the water to completely boil out, causing the elderberries to burn. The water will reduce a lot. Strain it out into a jar, pressing on the elderberries with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Put the elderberries back into the pot, add 2 more cups of water, and boil for another 20 minutes or so. Add that syrup to the syrup already in the jar by straining it out and pressing on the berries.

When the elderberry liquid in the jar cools to lukewarm, add ½ cup of honey and stir well. Store covered in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

You can take the syrup a tablespoon at a time to boost your immune system during the winter months (I take up to 4 tablespoons a day if I feel an illness coming on.) The best way to take it is to use it in a recipe.

Below are my favorite ways to eat elderberry syrup.

Drizzled on pancakes

In a parfait with homemade yogurt and granola

Swirled with yogurt for Baby T

Mixed with club soda for a natural, sweet drink

Drizzled over vanilla ice cream and club soda: an elderberry float!

*I'm not a doctor. This is not medical advice, it's just what I do in the winter to try to stay healthy.

For more delicious recipes, check out:

MENU PLAN MONDAY: Indexing Freezer Meals and Freezing Bone Broth

Last week was a pretty lazy one when it came to eating. Big T worked late, and I only had to cook for three nights.

The Meals:

Monday: Pasta with veggie gratin sauce
Tuesday: Coconut squash soup
Wednesday: Slow cooker chicken tikka masala
Thursday, Friday and Saturday - eat at Mom Mom's

Zucchini Muffins Even Your Toddler Will Eat

These muffins were inspired by the Zucchini Muffin recipe on this beautiful, beautiful food blog, Scaling Back. But of course, I have trouble following directions and can't do anything as I'm instructed, so I changed it up a bit. That, and I was getting a little sick of wiping poppy seeds of Baby T's butt. (Gross, I know.) Oh, and I've been making them with gluten-free baking mix. The recipe usually makes 24 muffins, and I put at least half in the freezer. I can grab one at a time and microwave it for 15 seconds to thaw.

This was a lesson in toddler patience.

Menu Plan Monday: It Gets Easier

Last week, I talked about starting to menu plan and how it had always seemed overwhelming to me. I also did a big Sunday cook-fest where I tried to prepare as many meals for the week (and the freezer) as possible. It was a lot of work, and I thought I would be burned out, but it was really great having real meals (i.e., meals that included vegetables) to eat for dinner.

Homemade Yogurt from Lactaid Milk

Back in the day when I had nothing better to do than to sit home and make cultured food, I made homemade cheese, yogurt, and kefir. I did this often. There were usually a few kinds of science experiments hanging out on top of our fridge or inside it.

Menu Plan Monday: Cooking for Health, Simplicity, and on a Budget

After pigging out over Thanksgiving and leaving my sister's house feeling bloated, gassy, and pretty awful, I decided something had to give. I have done some menu planning in the past, but I often get overwhelmed and can't even decide on what to make on a given day, much less all week. I don't stick to my plan, or I get so caught up in finding new recipes that the actual prep and cooking becomes a kind of olympics of its own.

When I Say "Feed Your Baby," Do You See a Bottle?

This post is part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by Life with Levi, and co-hosted by The Slacker Mom, and Diary of a Devil Dog Wife. Visit the links below and link up your own story or leave a comment!

This week’s theme is unkind words or hurtful comments about breastfeeding. In Marah’s post at Diary of a Devil Dog Wife, she asks why can’t breastfeeding just be normal? That’s my gripe with the whole feeding-your-baby thing too. I’ve never really had any hurtful comments, but when I say “feed your baby,” do you picture bottles or do you picture a woman nursing? Honestly, even for me it’s 50/50. I would love to say that as a self-proclaimed lactivist who has breastfed two children, I don’t picture a bottle when someone mentions feeding a baby. But that’s not always the case. Bottles have become a symbol that represents everything baby. How many logos, signs, and ads have you seen for baby products or services that use a bottle?

Project PINK - Painting the Blog World Pink for a Cure

 

Marilyn of The ArtsyGirl Connection is hosting Project Pink today. It's a day that supports the drive for a cure to breast cancer in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I feel honored to have joined more than 50 blogs in drawing attention to this important cause.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever - America's Test Kitchen Recipe

In addition to the healthy baby food banana cookies I made recently, I also made chocolate chip cookies last week. I used my favorite recipe. It's not at all healthy, but it is indulgent, amazing, and delicious. It's the America's Test Kitchen chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it makes huge, chewy, melty, gooey cookies that are perfect with milk.




The trick is to brown the butter and give the brown sugar time to dissolve fully into the eggs and butter, creating a toffee-like flavor that is so rich and almost candy-like.

Here is the recipe:

THE PROS AND CONS OF WEANING A TODDLER

This is my story, and I'm sticking to it. I guess.

Weaning my 2-year-old has been a roller coaster. When I thought he had weaned while I was pregnant, I was an emotional wreck. Then I had Little M and decided I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tandem nurse. I did tandem nurse for a while, but then I started to become irritable every time I nursed him. And he seemed to be asking out of half-hearted habit, not out of true desire. So I distracted him when he asked. And he was easily distracted. So he stopped nursing.

And then he started again, and then I decided to wean him for good.

Here’s why:

My First Mistake: Losing Confidence in Myself as a Parent

INSPIRATION THURSDAY: Getting Back in Shape

I’ve been inspired lately to get back in shape. I wish I could say that I love what babies have done to my body, and I’m in awe of what my body could do. I mean, I do, and I am. But I don’t so much have extra pregnancy weight as extra weight. My pregnancies caused me to become a super sugarholic, and that has not boded well for my body. My boobs are giant not because of breastfeeding, but because of the extra layer of fat underneath. When I curl up on the couch, there is some skin oozing up over my muffin top that I can feel with my hand and convince myself is not mine. My body doesn’t feel like my own anymore and I need to do something about it.

I have always exercised somewhat throughout my life. In high school, I would come home after school and do workout videos. Sometimes I would run. In college, I walked everywhere and ate very little, so I stayed thin. I remember weighing 99 pounds my freshman year of high school and being upset when I hit triple digits. Then, in my senior year of college, I “ballooned” from weighing 115 to 128. I felt huge. Ha! If only.

VEGGIE CHRISTMAS (Week 7)

So I've been a bit of a slacker. No Veggie Christmas post for Week 6. I guess I wasn't that creative, although I did use all my veggies except for the swiss chard. We got kohlrabi last week, which was a nice surprise. I love using veggies I've never tried before.

Kohlrabi has been described as tasting like broccoli stems, but I thought it was even milder. It almost tasted like potato. I ended up making Kohlrabi, Corn, and Cheese Empanadas with it, and Banana and Chocolate Empanadas for dessert. Amazing.

This week's box contained:
Tomato
Broccoli
Kale
Green leaf lettuce
Purple Scallions
Turnip
Squash
Bunch dill

I'm excited because there is much more variety this week. I was getting a smidge tired of getting creative with greens. Although I have pretty much started chopping, sauteeing and adding greens to everything I make. It's a great way to add nutritional value, and they taste so mild that you really don't even notice they're there.

This week's menu:

Wednesday: Dollar tacos at K-38 Baja Grill
Thursday: Risotto with Squash, Scallions and Radish Greens (* I realized risotto is a great thing to make when you're not sure what to do with your veggies. You can add anything to it!)
Friday: Dinner at Mom-Mom's (*I had so much dill and so many scallions that I sent some over to her house).
Saturday: BBQ Chicken, Broccoli Casserole with Squash
Sunday: Grilled sausage and pepper sandwiches, Potato and Turnip Pesto Salad
Monday: Rick Bayless' Tacos with Garlicky Mexican Greens and Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa
Tuesday: Chicken Korma, Barbecued Kale Marinated in Coconut Milk

FRESH ORGANIC DELICIOUSNESS (Week 7)

Below are the recipes I'm making from the items in my CSA box this week:

Risotto with Squash, Scallions and Radish Greens
*uses squash and scallions from the CSA box and homegrown radish greens
I had been making stir-fry as my go-to dish when I had a bunch of veggies and didn't know what to do with them. But then I remembered I could also make risotto! I'm sure an Italian would tell you there's a science to risotto. Well, not the way I make it. First of all, I use whatever rice I have on hand. You can use arborio rice, but I used regular white medium grain rice last night. Sometimes I add wine, but I didn't have any last night, so I just winged it. And I didn't really measure out my broth. I make chicken stock every time I cook a whole chicken, and freeze it in ice cube trays and then put the cubes in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Sixteen cubes=approximately 2 cups of liquid.

2 cups uncooked rice
approximately 8 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
1/2-1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (although it could have used more)
whatever other veggies you want. I diced squash, and chopped scallions and radish greens and sauteed them separately until the squash was brown and the greens were very wilted.
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute for one more minute. Add rice and saute until rice is coated in oil.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat your stock. Begin to add a few ladlefuls of stock to the rice. Keeping the rice on low/medium heat, stir quite often. Once the rice has soaked up most of the liquid, add another few ladlefuls. Continue to add liquid and cook, stirring frequently, in batches. When the rice begins to look like it is fully cooked, taste it. Once it is cooked to your liking, you're finished! Add the additional veggies, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

This makes a massive amount of risotto. (Approximately 8-10 servings). You could certainly cut down the amount of rice you use if you don't want as many leftovers.

Broccoli Casserole with Squash
*uses broccoli and squash from CSA box

This isn't the healthiest recipe, but it's delicious. The Kraft version of this recipe uses velveeta cheese, and although that is the recipe Big T's mom makes, and it's delicious, I can't bring myself to use velveeta. So I'm using regular cheddar.

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, chopped
15 Ritz crackers, crushed, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBSP butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Remove and drain. Mix with shredded cheese and 3/4 of the crushed Ritz crackers. Pour into casserole dish. Mix butter with remaining Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top. Bake for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Potato and Turnip Pesto Salad
*uses turnips from my CSA Box

3 large turnips, peeled and halved (wash save the greens to use in the pesto)
5 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

You will need to boil the potatoes and turnips in 2 separate batches. To boil, place potatoes and/or turnips in a large pot and cover with cold water. Heat and boil until fork tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Do the same with your next batch (potatoes or turnips--whichever one is remaining).

Once cool, dice the potatoes and turnips uniformly and place in a large bowl.

In a food processor or blender, add basil leaves, turnip greens and garlic. Process until basil is finely chopped. Add olive oil in a steady stream and pulse until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste, and pulse. When the pesto is seasoned to your liking, pour over potatoes and turnips and toss to coat. Refrigerate and serve cold, or serve at room temperature.

Tacos with Garlicky Mexican Greens and Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa
*Uses swiss chard and tomatoes from CSA box and cilantro from my garden
I am basing this on this Rick Bayless' recipe.

• 8 to 10 flour tortillas
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for blanching
• 6 cups loosely packed sliced green or red chard leaves (one 12-ounce bunch)
• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely crumbled Mexican queso fresco; queso anejo; dry feta; pressed, salted farmer's cheese; or Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa (see recipe below)
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Prepare the filling: bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add greens, and cook until barely tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, and spread out on a large plate or baking sheet to cool. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, stir for 1 minute, then add greens, and stir for about 1 minute, just long enough to heat them through. Season with salt.

Prepare the tacos: Warm your flour tortillas however you wish (I do it either wrapped in tin foil in the oven or covered with a wet paper towel in the microwave. Scoop the filling into a deep, warm serving dish, and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with the warm tortillas, salsa, and cilantro sprigs.

Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa
*Adapted from Rick Bayless' tomatillo salsa recipe

• 3 to 6 canned chiles chipotles en adobo
• 3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 large tomatoes, halved
• 4 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Remove chiles from the adobo sauce in which they are packed.
On a heavy ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat, roast the unpeeled garlic, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots and soft, about 15 minutes. Cool, slip off the papery skins, and roughly chop.

Preheat broiler with rack about 4 inches above. Lay tomatillos and halved tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet, and place under broiler. When the tomatillos blister, blacken, and soften on one side, about 5 minutes, turn them over and roast on the other side. Remove tomatoes after 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely on the baking sheet.

Scrape tomatillos, tomatoes (and any juices that have accumulated around them) into a molcajete, food processor, or blender, and add the chiles and the garlic. Combine until everything is thick and relatively smooth (detectable little bits will add textural interest). For a chunkier alternative, combine tomatillos with their juices and the garlic only until everything is coarsely pureed; chop the rehydrated or canned chiles into tiny bits, then stir them into the tomatillo mixture. Transfer salsa to a serving bowl, and add enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency, 3 to 4 tablespoons. Season with salt, and add sugar if you want to soften the flavor a bit.

Chicken Korma
2 chicken legs and thighs (I buy whole chickens so I will cut these off and use them for the dish)
1.5 c chicken broth
.5 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 c dates, chopped
1/8 c dried apricots, chopped
1 T apricot jam
1 T lemon juice
1 t grated ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
cilantro

Brown chicken in olive oil then remove to plate. Add spices including ginger to pan to lightly toast (watch carfully, do not burn). Add onion and garlic and let saute until translucent. Add dates, apricots and reserved chicken to pan then pour all of the chicken broth over and stir. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 40 min. Just before serving add lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Serve with rice or couscous.

Barbecued Kale Marinated in Coconut Milk
*uses kale from CSA box
from this recipe

1 bunch kale
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
pinch red pepper flakes
juice of one lime
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Clean kale, discard stems and cut into 6 inch strips. Slowly heat up coconut milk while slowly stirring until it is just warm and thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Marinate kale, covered, in refrigeration, for at least 4 hours. Remove kale marinade from fridge to grill, pat dry. Using tongs, place strips of kale on the grill for 30-45 seconds on each side. (You can reserve marinade liquid to use as fish sauce for another meal). Serve immediately.

Kohlrabi, Corn, and Cheese Empanadas
1 package Goya empanada wrappers
1/2 package frozen corn (approximately 1.5 cups)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBSP olive oil
1 egg

Filling: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic, cook one minute. Add kohlrabi and cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes. Add frozen corn and cook until heated through. Add cheese and cook, stirring, until melted.

Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of filling into empanada wrappers. (I roll mine out with a rolling pin so they are slightly larger and more flexible before filling). You can also use pie crust, cut to rounds approximately 6" in diameter. Dip finger into a bowl of clean water and wet edge of empanada. Fold over onto itself, enveloping filling. Crimp edges with fork or fold edges over onto themselves to seal.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lay empanadas on sheet. Beat egg with fork and add a splash of water. Beat again with fork. This will be your glaze. Dip a basting brush into glaze and lightly glaze each empanada. Cook at 425 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until wrappers are golden brown.

Let cool a bit before eating. Filling will be VERY HOT.

I ended up having 3 wrappers left over, so I made some dessert empanadas:

Banana and Chocolate Empanadas
*you can adjust amounts to suit your needs.

3 empanada wrappers
2 bananas
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon and sugar mixed together to dust tops of empanadas

Slice bananas. Put equal amounts bananas, chocolate chips, and brown sugar in the center of your empanada wrappers. Wet edges of wrappers and fold onto themselves to make little pockets. Crimp edges with fork or fold over itself to seal. Dust with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Baste with egg and water mixture. Bake in 425 degree oven for 7-10 minutes or until wrappers are golden brown.

FRESH ORGANIC DELICIOUSNESS (Week 5)

Shrimp Pasta with Dill and Scallions

Ingredients
1 bag frozen shrimp
1 box angel hair pasta
1 bunch dill
1 bunch scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 lemon
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP olive oil
red pepper flakes

Directions
Finely chop shallot, garlic, scallions and dill. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat and sautee previous mixture until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque. Boil pasta and drain. Add pasta to pot with veggies and shrimp and toss. Add juice of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Collards Stuffed with Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from this recipe at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

1 cup cooked brown rice (I'm using brown basmati)

1 1/2 cup small red beans, cooked
1 large onion, finely diced
1 green or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 – 1 tablespoon Tabasco, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
12 leaves collard greens

Directions:

You will need cooked rice and red beans, so before you do anything else, make sure you have those prepared.Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray or wipe it with olive oil, if you like. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring regularly, until it begins to brown. Add the green pepper and celery and cook, adding a little water if it starts to dry out, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Remove 3/4 of a cup of the vegetables from the skillet and mix them in a bowl with the fire-roasted tomatoes and a little salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

To the skillet, add the rice, red beans, the seasonings, and 1/4 cup of bean-cooking liquid or vegetable broth. Reduce heat to very low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly and adding additional liquid if it starts to dry out. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Wash the collard leaves and cut off the stems level with the bottom of the leaves. Turn them with the coarse stem-side of the leaf up, and holding a very sharp knife parallel to the leaf, trim off part of the thickened central rib. Be careful not to cut through the leaves. If leaves are very large, you can just cut out the thickest part of the central rib.

In two batches of 6, place the collard leaves into the boiling water, pressing them down gently to make sure all leaves are submerged. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse in cool water. Repeat with remaining leaves.

Preheat oven to 350F.

To assemble, spoon half of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a long, oiled casserole dish. Place a collard leaf in front of you, trimmed side up and stem closest to you. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the rice mixture (2 for small leaves, 3 for larger) about a quarter of the way from the bottom.

Fold the side edges over the middle. Fold the bottom (stem end) over the filling, tucking it in behind the filling. Roll up tightly, and place each roll into the casserole dish. Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the rolls, and cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce
adapted from this recipe

a bunch of fresh arugula
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
S and P to taste
1 pound fusilli noodles (or whatever you have on hand)
Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish

1. Before preparing sauce, fill a large casserole with water, and bring the water to a boil.
2 Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly. Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley.
3. Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish. Serve immediately.



Lemon Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Scallions and Dill
adapted from this recipe

2 1/4 cups water
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch arugula, leaves washed thoroughly, spun dry, and shredded fine (about 2 cups)
3 large scallions, sliced thin
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, or to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions. Stir in lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste and cool quinoa completely. Stir in arugula, scallions, and dill and chill for 2 hours or overnight. *I ended up making a "dressing" for this using this Caesar Vinaigrette Recipe and it was delicious.

BREASTFEEDING ADVICE

So you can REALLY Decide

This post is going to be long. Because I really have something to say. (As opposed to all the other times that I just want to say something). Redbook recently published an article called "Breastfeeding Facts: You Decide," seemingly illustrating the pros and cons of breastfeeding. Posing the issue of breastfeeding as one that society supports, but sometimes your body doesn't. Therefore, which side do you take: that of society, or that of your body? This article might as well have been called "Even Though Your Peers Will Pressure You to Think It's Cool to Breastfeed, Think Again--It Can Actually Suck."

WTF?

I understand the desire to educate women about all aspects of breastfeeding--the benefits, the challenges--and it's important that women who do encounter challenges and who ultimately decide that not breastfeeding is the best choice for their families not be made to feel guilty about their decision.

But.

Posing the question as society vs. your body is misinformed, misdirected, and a mistake.

Breastfeeding is not a trend. It is not like getting the new, hip, off-roading, 4-season stroller and showing it off to your friends to ooh and aah over. It's not an issue that people should be "divided over" as the article puts it. Breastfeeding is:

1. What women's bodies were made to do. During pregnancy and beyond, our bodies are filled with hormones that fill us with a life force that adapts and changes to our babies' nutritional needs.
2. How babies are supposed to get their nutrition. It is recommended by the World Health Organization as the exclusive source of nutrition for a baby up to 6 months of age, and recommended along with complementary foods up to age 2 and beyond.

It's a fact. Breastmilk is the best source of nourishment for a baby. Yes, there are other options. No, not everyone can breastfeed. And women should not be made to feel that their children will suffer a long life of malnutrition and obesity if they cannot breastfeed. But why is it constantly posed as an issue up for debate? It's like writing an article about water. Health experts recommend that you drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. We don't debate this. It is not a devisive issue. People who don't drink 6-8 glasses of water are not shunned. Nor do they write articles lashing out at those who do drink the recommended amount of water. Well, health experts recommend that you breastfeed your child. If you decide not to, that's up to you. But it shouldn't be a constant source of debate that divides women into two camps.

The Redbook article actually offends me (as does the article linked to in the first sentence, whose metatags show up as "Stop Breastfeeding" in my browser--but don't even get me started on that one. Although please know that this blog post is also highly impacted by that article as well.) This article is not only posed in a ridiculous manner, it is written with an outwardly negative slant, using strong language that honestly feels a little like a slap in the face:

"It keeps mom hostage"
Seriously? I went out every day during my maternity leave. I knew I didn't need access to bottles or water or a refrigerator, so I felt free to visit friends, go to the park or go out to lunch. I knew that when Baby T was hungry, I could simply put him to the breast no matter where I was. At 2 months old, Baby T got fussy when we were waiting for a table at a restaurant. I put him in my ring sling, latched him onto my breast, and when our names were called, I walked through the restaurant. Baby T was still eating, no one had any idea, and I was seated at my table. At 3 months old, I participated in a protest in the middle of the summer heat, Baby T nursing away in the sling. Not only did I NOT feel like a hostage, I felt like I had freedom to meet with friends, where I had that mama support that I desperately needed during Baby T's first few months, when he was fussy and colicky and I wasn't sure what was normal. Being out with women who understood kept me from getting the blues and helped me realize that everyone goes through the roller coaster that is having a newborn. On the other hand, when I have a nonstop, stressful day at work, I know that I can come home, put up my feet, and take a breather while Baby T and I bond and relax.

"It derails your workday"
Derails? As in a train off the track, laying on its side, passengers flung about? That sounds to me like "There is no possible way you could get any work done if you are a breastfeeding mother. You might as well realize that you just shouldn't go back to work, or else just go to formula so you can get some work done." Yes, I am having to pump 3 times a day during my first year back to work. Some days I could get away with twice a day, and now I'm trying to wean off of the pump entirely. I have a computer and a phone in my pumping room, and answer customer service calls and emails while I pump. But it is also a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the office and close my eyes for a second and relax. Please find me a new mom who is back to work, running on 2 hours of sleep, and tells you that she doesn't appreciate 3 breaks scheduled into her workday.

"Mom must watch what she eats and drinks"
Oh the horror. Guess what, moms? Now you're responsible for a life other than yourself. You can't just do what you want whenever you want. You can't just go out and pound 6 beers with the girls anymore. If you want to stay up late, lay off the 5 Red Bulls. No more Ambien to help you get to sleep every night, chased by the 3 cups of coffee you're used to in the morning. Guess what? As a mother, I have responsibilities to my child whether or not I'm breastfeeding. I'm not going to go out and pound 6 beers with the girls, because I need to come home and take care of my child. I don't want to take sleeping pills because I need to be able to be wakened when he cries in the night. Your life changes when you have a child. You don't act the way you did in college anymore, when you ate, drank, and did whatever you wanted. This happens whether you're breastfeeding or not.

"It's no magic weight-loss solution"
This is a con? Guess what, ladies? Walking is no magic weight loss solution either. So even though it's good for your heart and gets you up off the couch, there are a lot of other factors that go into determining whether it will actually make you lose weight. So think long and hard before you make that decision to get up and go for a walk.

"It lowers libido"
Gasp. You know what? Since I was 22, my libido has gone up and down. Being on birth control for 12 years didn't help. Coming home after a long day of work, sometimes sex was the last thing on my mind. And after having a baby, I can tell you that the fear of my 2nd degree tear didn't do wonders for my libido. Neither did Baby T's every-20-minute wakeups after 3AM. But some days, for no reason at all, my libido is on high alert. (I'm not really going to elaborate here since both my parents and Big T's read this blog...) But my point is, that there are so many factors affecting a woman's libido throughout her life. Can this really be used as a make it or break it factor in deciding whether to breastfeed?

"It can be extremely painful"
Back to the libido thing, so can sex after childbirth (be painful). For a very. long. time. But things heal, you take it day by day, and you get over it.  I am sure that there are women who never have sex again after having a baby, but I am also assuming that that number is very, very, very small. Yet, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 70% of new mothers initiate breastfeeding, 36% are breastfeeding at 6 months, 17% are breastfeeding at 12 months. If only 17% of women ended up continuing to have sex 12 months post partum, because it hurt too much, I can guarantee you that the divorce rate in this country would be sky high.

There can be challenges that come with breastfeeding. Just as there are challenges inherent in parenting. Just as there are challenges inherent in life. It's part of living and learning. Why do we have to be so judgemental in our debates? Why is the subject of breastfeeding so often framed as an opposition? As women, we shouldn't take sides on this issue. We should support the decisions made by educated mothers in preserving the health and happiness of their babies and families. This should include education and support from other mothers to get through the challenges of breastfeeding. Let's try to raise the breastfeeding rates in our country. Let's try to help each other get through it instead of framing it as an "us and them" scenario to lure people to our side. If there are no sides to take and no name-calling and ridicule, just healthy support and discussion, maybe more women would breastfeed. But if the challenges are too great for some women, let's embrace them and empathize with them instead of judging and criticizing. And then--because women need the support of other women to live and learn--maybe we can feel like one community of moms helping each other instead of two camps lashing out at each other.

Redbook, I'm honestly ashamed for you. And embarrassed that as a magazine for women, you are helping to create a divide between them instead of creating a global support system that is so important.

FRESH ORGANIC DELICIOUSNESS (Week 4)

Recipes from our CSA Box

Kale Chips

Wash and dry kale well. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill large kale leaves in one layer on metal cookie sheets in 450 degree oven until crisp. This will take approximately 10 minutes (flip halfway). You will have to make a few different batches, since only 3 or 4 kale pieces fit on a cookie sheet at one time. Remove from oven, and cut the leaves off of the stems with a sharp knife.

Sweet Potato Chips
Slice sweet potatoes thinly. (I used the slicer blade on my food processor). Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil and spread sweet potatoes on cookie sheet. Rub around in the olive oil and flip each sweet potato disc over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway. Be sure not to let them burn. **A friend of mine gave me a tip: if you turn off the oven and leave the chips in, they will become very crispy. I didn't have time for this, but they were still great. Baby T really liked them too. Not so much the kale chips though, which got stuck on his tongue and made him gag and make some pretty funny faces.