Ann Marie's Blog

New address(es)

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 05:20:54 GMT

I am moving my blog. Actually I'm bifurcating it into two blogs.

A blog about Kate and my family:

http://katechronicles.wordpress.com/

(I am going to make this subscribers-only)

And a blog about everything else (mainly about food and health since that is what I blather on about most of the time):

http://cheeseslave.wordpress.com/

This is mainly to separate my more personal/family entries from everything else.

Please add to your Bloglines or whatnot.

I will syndicate to Live Journal at some point -- when I get around to it. I hate to leave Live Journal but I need an easier way to upload photos and such -- so I'm moving over to WordPress.

Why you should feed your baby butter, raw milk, and sauerkraut ...

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 04:36:32 GMT

... and why you need to eat them too.

This whole series (videos 1-6) is worth watching. They are talking about nutrition for autistic kids... but it is important information for all of us.

Did you know that fermenting foods increases the nutrition hundreds of times? Isn't that exciting?

Did you know that serotonin is manufactured in the gut? Isn't that amazing?

PS: The woman on the right, Natasha Campbell-McBride, reversed her son's autism through diet.

Help save raw milk in California!

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:07:10 GMT

As it stands, there will be no more raw milk allowed in California next month. I'm really upset about this because I drink raw milk every day and use it to make Kate's homemade baby formula.

More and more dairies are going by the wayside across the country due to pressure from lobbyists from big money dairy factory farms. We can't let this happen in California, where raw milk has always been legal and available in stores.

I've posted before about Monsanto milk and their slimy "Milk is Milk" campaign. This is real, people. Freedoms are not taken away all at once. They are taken away one at a time.

Here's what happened... a couple of months ago, they slipped a few sentences into an amendment of the California food code. It was signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger -- even though he probably didn't even know what he was signing.

Here's the press release from Organic Pastures Dairy: http://www.organicpastures.com/pdfs/ab1735_press_release.pdf

Sally Fallon says, "The legislation is obviously aimed at getting rid of raw milk in California using standards that are unnecessary or impossible to meet."

If you live in California and you want the right to buy raw milk and dairy products, please read the following and do what you can to help. Even if you don't currently drink raw milk, please do what you can to fight for these organic dairy farms where the cows are allowed to be on pasture and eat grass all year long. If they get away with this, who knows what they will do next?

In fact, it was just announced that the USDA wants to start doing the same thing -- imposing ridiculous unattainable federal regulations on small growers and family farms -- for all leafy greens!!!

http://cornucopia.org/index.php/protect-fresh-leafy-greens-and-family-farms/

Pasteurization kills enzymes, folks. Enzymes are the building blocks for the absorption of nutrients. Without enzymes, we can't absorb vitamins and minerals.

Furthermore, pasteurization kills probiotics, or good bacteria. We need this bacteria in our digestive tracts in order to build immunity. Why do you think so many kids are allergic to EVERYTHING these days? They've been raised on pasteurized foods, most notably pasteurized milk.

The guy that sells us our milk at the Organic Pastures hub store said that his first-born son was sick all the time and had eczema for five years. His eczema cleared up in TWO weeks after they switched to raw milk.

Here is the page on what you can do (I am writing a letter to Nicole Parra and sending photos of our family with Kate drinking raw milk):

http://www.organicpastures.com/ab_1735_letter4.html

Write or fax letters (no emails) to Nicole Parra, Chair of the Agriculture Committee in the Assembly. Make it personal and real by including a picture of you and your family holding raw milk containers. Tell her to introduce new legislation that will let raw milk continue to flow freely in California.

Assemblymember Nicole Parra
Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0030
(916) 319 - 2030
(916) 319 - 2130 Fax

Also write your assembly members or better yet make an appointment and plead your case directly.

Please, please do what you can to help. Write a letter today. Not just for Kate, but for the cows! And for the right to continue to buy healthy food in California.

Please forward this post via email or blog. (If you post on your blog, please send me the link so I can send it to Organic Pastures -- they will post it on their site.)

Henna for Blondes

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:51:42 GMT

The more I read about hair dye, the more I think I can do without.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-04-10-blasi-dye.htm

The thing is, I don't care about having perfectly highlighted hair. I think a lot of people's hair looks fake anyway. I hate that "frosted" look. I like a more natural look -- and I don't really care all that much about my looks. I never have.

Anyway, I really hate going to the salon. So I wait and procrastinate until my roots are super dark and then I finally go. But I hate the whole process. I'd love to skip it and do something more natural.

But since my hair's blonde, I didn't think I could find a natural alternative. Henna is great for reds -- but I look HORRIBLE with red hair. My coloring is all wrong for it.

Anyway, someone just posted on my blog about henna for blondes...

http://www.hennabycynthia.homestead.com/

I'm going to look into this. I could just order some and see how it goes. Worst case scenario, it will look like crap -- in which case I'll wear a hat for a while.

It's worth a try. Better than bladder cancer. ;-) And better than wasting hours at the salon.

The Town Without a Toothache

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 05:08:58 GMT

Dr. George Heard was a dentist in the early part of the 20th century who first practiced in Alabama, where he had a majority of patients with tooth decay that required fillings and extractions -- ultimately resulting in false teeth. He later moved to a small town in Texas where he was stunned to find very few cavities (average of 1.2 decayed spots per child between the ages of 6-18).

No, it wasn't fluoride. There were other Texas towns that had just as much or more fluoride in the water -- and their incidence of tooth decay was greater.

Dr. Heard attributed the town's excellent dental health to diet. Particularly homegrown vegetables from beds rich in minerals, whole grain bread, and plenty of raw milk. And avoidance of white flour and refined sugar.

I asked every patient who came to me: "How much milk do you drink every day. Do you drink raw milk? Do you drink buttermilk and clabber?"

For years I made inquiry of my patients as to their milk habits. Almost invariably I found that the possessor of a mouth full of sound teeth had been a consistent milk drinker from early childhood. A surprisingly large number liked either buttermilk, clabber or both.

The significant fact is that the milk those patients drank came from cows that had grazed on native grass in Deaf Smith County pastures. In winter, as a rule, the cows had grazed on green wheat.

from "Man Versus Toothache" by Dr. George W. Heard, copyright 1952

Why in the world are we drinking skim milk from GRAIN-fed cows? Not to mention cows that are fed corn, soy, dead animals, day-old pastries, etc. Skim, pasteurized milk is completely devoid of nutrition. You may as well drink water.

And cows that are forced to eat grain and other things are not healthy. Grain makes them sick. Which requires more antibiotics, etc. Which is why you don't want to drink pasteurized milk. Not only is it devoid of nutrition, it is from sick cows that are pumped to the gills with antibiotics (and hormones in many cases).

And just what are all those antibiotics doing to the delicate balance of flora in your intestinal tract, the very seat of your immunity?

Do you think the antibiotics are killed or inactivated by the pasteurization process? Does anyone know? I don't know -- I'm not a microbiologist, for godsakes.

But I do know that it can't be good to drink milk from sick cows who are pumped with antibiotics. I don't know how you can dispute that logic.

Cows are meant to eat grass in spring and summer, and hay in fall and winter. They are not meant to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in cramped factories eating grain and other abnormal things out of troughs.

Where are you getting your milk? Do you know the dairy? Do you know what they feed the cows?

If you like to drink milk (I hope you do, it's very good for you and delicious), not to mention eat cheese, ice cream, and butter, here are some good posts to read on my friend Beatrix's blog. These two posts illustrate the difference between real, healthy grass-fed-cow-produced raw milk and factory farm swill.

Please educate yourself:

The Sweet Sound of Cowbells Ringing Out in the Fields:
http://constantstateofflux.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/the-sweet-tone-of-cowbells-ringing-out-in-the-fields/

STOP DOING IT NOW:
http://constantstateofflux.wordpress.com/2007/09/21/stop-doing-it-now/

Think you can't get raw milk, pastured eggs, and grass-fed meat? Well you're probably right that you won't find it at Safeway. You might not even find it at Whole Foods (unless you live in California which does sell raw milk -- for now...).

Here are some resources to help you find good real milk and grass-fed animal food:

http://www.realmilk.com/ (click on WHERE to find sources for real raw milk)

http://www.eatwild.com/

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:19:07 GMT

"Sleigh Ride"

J Mitchell Parish, Leroy Anderson, 1948

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you,
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling "Yoo hoo,"
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let's go, Let's look at the show,
We're riding in a wonderland of snow.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, it's grand just holding your hand,
We're gliding along with a song of a wintry fairy land.

Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we
We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be
Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

There's a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray
It'll be the perfect ending a perfect day
We'll be singing the songs we love to sing without a single stop,
At the fireplace while we watch the chestnuts pop. Pop! pop! pop!

There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy,
When they pass around the chocolate and the pumpkin pie.
It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives
These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives.

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you,
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling "Yoo hoo,"
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let's go, Let's look at the show,
We're riding in a wonderland of snow.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, it's grand, Just holding your hand,
We're gliding along with a song of a wintry fairy land

Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we
We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be
Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

Does anyone write lyrics like that anymore?

Yes, I'm listening to Christmas music again. It was chilly and windy outside today. No snow -- this is Los Angeles. But it is starting to feel a little more like Christmas.

Did you ever in your life go caroling? I did, once or twice. We went door to door in our neighborhood when we were kids. It was fun! I don't know if anyone does it anymore but it is so much fun.

I guess pasting lyrics on my Live Journal is my way of doing virtual caroling.

I went to the Organic Pastures store this afternoon to buy milk for the next two weeks. Six gallons! Yes, that's about what we go through: three gallons a week. Kate needs almost a gallon per week for her formula and I drink a quart a day since I'm nursing.

When I came home, Seth and I got on the floor with Kate and let her practice crawling. She is really starting to crawl like a champ. Well okay it's more like dragging herself around like Porgy -- she just needs a little wheeled cart. She doesn't actually use her legs. She knows to move them but she doesn't use them -- she just pulls herself with her arms. Soon she'll figure out that she can use her legs and she'll double or triple her speed (although she's already really fast).

Then I changed her (doubled up cloth diapers with two microfiber inserts) and put her in her jammies with snowmen and snowflakes and a pair of warm socks, gave her a bottle while I read to her from Mother Goose and "Runaway Bunny". She drank her milk and listened sweetly, then rubbed her eyes so I put her in bed and tucked her under the blankies with all her animals. She went right out.

I was too tired to cook so Seth ordered Thai food. Now he is catching up on the Hollywood Reporter and we're having some wine and listening to classical music. The heater is on and Rita is sleeping on a pillow next to me.

We're all going to bed early tonight. I wish there was a blanket of snow outside in the morning. We could build a fire and make popcorn and hot chocolate and watch movies under blankets on the couch.

Maybe it will stay windy at least -- and it will feel somewhat wintry. I'll take Kate for a walk in her stroller and we'll pretend.

PS: I just asked Seth if he would make a fire in the fireplace. He said, "Yes, baby." But I don't see him getting off the couch anytime soon. He's so cozy with his stack of magazines. I also asked him if he could make it snow. He said, "Tomorrow."

PS2: Is it really only 6:30? Cripes. It feels like 10:30!

Broth, sugar, and healthy people with no cavities

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 06:24:32 GMT

It was a grey day in LA. Rainy and cold and dreary. This kind of weather is so rare in LA, so when it happens, it's kind of fun. Like a snow day or a blackout.

I had soaked some oatmeal last night, so this morning I got to wake up to coffee and a bowl of comforting oatmeal with raisins and maple syrup garnished with a little raw milk.

For lunch I used some of the turkey stock (from the turkey carcass) and leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, added a few carrots, some parsley and sea salt, and made the most delicious, comforting soup for Seth and Alla and myself.

Tonight after dinner I was reading my new friend Beatrix's blog. Even though she lives in the French Alps, I found her online because she and I are into all the same stuff health- and food-wise. Weston Price, raw milk, etc.

Anyway, it was so cool to read that she was feeding her family bone broth today too.

http://quatrepattes.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/comfort-for-a-little-one/

Kate LOVES broth. Absolutely loves it. I feed it to her with a little liver pate mixed in. She likes squash, but she LOVES broth. She can't lap it up fast enough.

This afternoon I made zucchini bread from the "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook. It came out great. Very moist. Maybe a tiny bit too sweet (I added extra maple syrup and uncalled for Rapadura). Next time I'll make it a little less sweet. I might make some other adjustments as well.

I have to say though... I think my taste buds are changing. I don't want sweets as much anymore. I used to eat 2-3 chocolate chip cookies almost every night. I used to crave chocolate and sweets. Now I really don't. I can go days, weeks, months even -- and I don't care about eating sweets at all. Every once in a while I will have a chocolate chip cookie before bed (I got the kind that are frozen but it's all-natural ingredients). I can only eat one. Even then, it feels like a tad too much.

Sweets just taste TOO sweet for me now. That Halloween party where I had the Bluebonnet Cafe cupcake -- it made me dizzy and kind of nauseous. And I only ate half! And I used to be able to devour those cupcakes.

I know part of it is the fact that I am not eating sugar. I don't know the last time I ate real sugar. I've only been eating stevia, maple syrup, raw honey, agave nectar (which I found out I'm not supposed to be eating) and Rapadura.

I think part of it might also have to do with the amount of fat I am eating now. Good fats. Butter, coconut oil, whole milk, eggs. I am satiated. I don't crave anything. I wonder if part of the reason people crave sweets is because they need more fat.

I'm struck by that statistic I read today -- that breast milk is over 50% fat and loaded with cholesterol. If fat and cholesterol are bad for you, then why is breast milk -- the epitome of health food for humans -- loaded with it?

And then you read Weston Price's book (I'm halfway through) and all these people from around the world are eating diets of 50% or more of saturated fat. And they are the healthiest people on the planet. No degenerative diseases. No cancer. No heart disease. No diabetes or arthritis. No obesity. Very, very few cavities. They had no need for doctors or dentists.

What did they eat? Different things, depending on where they lived. The Eskimos ate differently than the people living in the Swiss Alps or African tribes. But overall they all ate a very similar diet -- a lot of saturated fat, some vegetables, lots of meat, fish and/or dairy, and occasionally whole grains. Zero refined flour or sugar.

The people in the Swiss Alps for example, lived on raw milk, cheese, butter, whole grain rye bread, some vegetables, and, once a week they had meat. These people had almost no cavities. And no degenerative diseases. Am I repeating myself? I can't help it. It's just astounding to me! Can you imagine never having to see a doctor or dentist?

So interesting... I read that book about babies and sleep ("Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Weissbluth) and it says that sleep begets sleep. In other words, the more you help your baby get his or her rest, the better and more he will sleep. Likewise, it's eat fat to lose fat. Eat more fat and you will want to eat less and you will lose fat. Counter-intuitive, eh?

I'm watching "What Not to Wear". They're making over a Rastafarian hippie with dreadlocks that look like really long turds. When I was in the hospital with Kate, I watched this a few times while I was nursing her. It reminds me of that special time. It was so wonderful being in the hospital with our perfect baby, so in awe of and in love with her.

I can't believe how big she's gotten over the past several months. She's so alert and curious and she's crawling and babbling and she even did her first sign the other day. Monkey. You make the sign by scratching under your arms like a monkey.

She also waves now -- hi and goodbye. Not consistently -- but when she does it, it is clear that she knows what she is doing.

It's so fun cuddling with her and nuzzling and kissing those cheeks, that belly, those toes. She's such a delectable baby. And it's fun learning about who she is. She has a strong personality. Independent, unflappable, curious, determined. And she definitely has a good sense of humor. That's obvious already. Very bright, too. It's interesting to me that their personalities emerge so early.

Time for some milk and then bed.

Daddy woke the baby

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:33:53 GMT

Daddy came home from a day trip to Denver (left at 6 am, back home at 9 pm) and went in to look at baby while she slept.

Moments later, I heard crying.

I guess he touched her head and it woke her.

I told her he could hold her and rock her in the glider for a while.

A few minutes passed -- there was still crying. She was clearly not relaxing.

I knew she was tired. When Kate gets tired, she just wails. She can't relax in your arms. She has been this way since she was tiny tiny. She's not one to be coddled. When she's really beat, she just wants to go down (in the words of my niece Stella) in her "very own bed".

So I hugged and kissed her, told her it was night-night time, put her back in bed, tucked the covers in tight, and patted her belly. I showed her all her stuffed animals, "Here's your camel. Here's your bear. Here's your kangaroo." And then gave her her favorite, the bunny rabbit, to hug.

And I quickly ushered Daddy out the door.

No more crying.

It's the ritual she responds to. I know the drill. Hug and kiss, say "night night", tuck in, pat pat, show the animals. I really do think every baby is different. This baby is very independent. She needs her space.

Earlier tonight, at bedtime, I was attempting to feed her her last bottle, holding her in the glider. NO GO. She was screaming her head off, back arched, mouth as wide open as possible. I suppose I could have panicked, but knowing our Kate, I knew what she needed. I put her in her bed. She was asleep within 15 minutes.

Poor Daddy. I feel sorry for him, having to be gone all day, away from her. He just wanted to give her some love and instead he made her cry. It must be hard to be a daddy.

How saturated fat got its bad name

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:07:38 GMT

Everything good for you is bad for you. Everything bad for you is good for you.

Butter is good.
Butter is BAD!
Margarine is good!
Margarine is BAD!
Butter is good again!

Milk is good.
Milk is BAD!
Soy milk is good!
Soy milk is BAD!
Milk is good again! (raw milk, that is)

Why is this happening? Why do the medical/nutrition/food industries keep changing their minds about what we should be eating?

Could it be... money? Prestige? Corruption?

Sigh. Same old story. That story is called Money Makes the World Go 'Round.

Ask yourself this question: What's cheaper to produce than butter?

How about "vegetable oil" and "margarine" (made from cheap industrial corn and soy)?

Cheaper and "healthier" (???).

Healthier only because certain scientists did research that showed that it was healthier. If you watch the video below, you'll see that the research was flawed.

The good news is -- you can eat butter again. (Make it raw butter if you can. It's better for you.)

And if you're still scared to eat butter, remember -- Julia Child was a big advocate of saturated fat... butter, heavy cream, foie gras. She ate that kind of stuff all the time.

In fact, my favorite quote from Julia Child was from an episode of one of her TV shows. She said (paraphrase), "If you're worried that there's too much butter in this recipe, you don't have to use this much butter -- you can substitute with cream."

And how did she die? Heart disease? Diabetes? Stroke?

None of the above.

She died in her sleep, aged 91.

This is an clip from a new movie coming out, a documentary called Fat Head that is a response to Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me". I'm looking forward to seeing it!

I'll leave you with this... did you know that breast milk is over 50% fat, much of it cholesterol? It has the highest percentage of cholesterol of any food (according to Dr. Mary Enig http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html).

If breast milk is so good for you, and it's chock full of cholesterol and saturated fat, how can those things be bad?

Sunrise, sunset

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:33:41 GMT

I had to go to the dentist this afternoon (they are putting in a crown on the crownless root canal tooth I had worked on before Kate was born). Driving home from downtown around 4:30 pm, I got to see the most spectacular sunset.

OK not the most spectacular, because every sunset is spectacular. In its own way. Like every snowflake is spectacular. Like every dog. Every cat. Every human being.

Anyway, it was gorgeous and beautiful and breathtaking. I kept trying to focus on driving but all I really wanted to do was breathe in this incredible sunset.

Suddenly it struck me that the majority (like 90%) of the cars were coming in the opposite direction. The majority of people on the road WERE MISSING THIS SUNSET. It then occurred to me that all these people make this commute every day and they all miss the sunset. Not only that, but they miss the sunrise too.

All these people, working so hard, swimming upstream. And a few of us lucky (I don't really believe in luck) bastards get to swim downstream... happily driving west, toward the ocean, marveling at the splendor of the divine.

And to think it was going to the dentist that allowed me to witness this. Clouds with silver linings.

I too miss the sunrise and sunset most days -- not because I'm stuck in a car going the wrong way -- but because our house doesn't have a view.

I decided right then that our next house will have a view of at least sunrise and/or sunset. Heck, why not both? Maybe we'll have sunrise in one room or on one patio -- with our morning coffee -- and sunset on a deck or in a den. Ahh, doesn't that sound fantastic?

Yes, yes it does. And I have experienced enough times in my life the reality of visualization creating manifestations. I have done it so many times. I know it works. So I'm going to create our next house. It's going to be huge and rambling and modern and elegant. With alternative energy and a gourmet kitchen and filtered water and showers and unbelievable gardens and a salt water swimming pool.

Fun to think about. Happy where I am and eager for more, as Abe says.

Tonight I made the most delicious salad -- the "High Enzyme Salad" from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. Sprouted sunflower seeds, grated carrots and raw cheddar cheese, chopped cucumber, red bell pepper and zucchini (I added that last one) on a bed of greens with a vinaigrette dressing. I forgot the avocado and green onion -- oh well.

We had that and shrimp sauteed in lemon butter sauce along with some ceviche I got from Rawesome. Along with some Gewurtztraminer from Roshambo that didn't taste peppery and spicy like most Gewurtzes -- it was like honey. Nice with this meal.

Went and checked on the baby. Nothing sweeter than a little chubs all tucked in and sleeping soundly. I held her hand and she grunted and tossed.

I can hear Seth snoring now in the bedroom. Life is good.

I enjoy my life so much these days. Washing and drying cloth diapers, folding them and putting them away next to the changing table. Making the homemade formula in the blender, filling glass bottles and lining them up in the fridge. Making chicken stock and baby food puree, storing it in ice trays -- butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, apple sauce, papaya, cantaloupe, and chicken liver pate. Lots to do but it is all enjoyable.

Funny, I was at Rawesome today, doing my shopping. James, the owner, greeted me with an enthusiastic, "Hello!" I was thinking about him as I shopped, thinking about how happy he always seems. He's passionate (just ask him about the politics around raw milk or raw almonds in California and you'll see how passionate he is). But it's not an angry passion. It's a joyful vitality. Something so many people are missing. There is nothing about him that seems depressed or repressed. He is real. He is vital.

And I was thinking about him and how much he must love his job. He gets to bring good, raw, organic food to the people. Food you can't find at Ralph's. You seriously can't. I can't get pastured eggs at Ralph's or Trader Joe's or even Whole Food's. Rawesome is it.

And he is supporting farmers. It's got to feel good to know that the chicken lady has customers for her pastured eggs. She's making money, and people are getting good food.

Anyway, that is how I feel about being a mom. I don't mind washing cloth diapers. I don't mind spending hours researching nutrition and scouting out the healthiest foods and taking the time to prepare them the old-fashioned ways -- instead of just throwing something in the microwave. Like James at Rawesome, I feel like what I am doing is important. I am needed. And I am passionate about this. It makes me want to get out of bed in the morning.

And there's something so comforting and warm about a home with a big basket full of fresh organic fruits on the kitchen counter, a stockpot of chicken or beef stock simmering, a fridge full of fresh raw milk and pastured eggs. I know that I am helping my family become healthier.

I know, the results aren't in yet. We've only been doing this for a few months. We did cure Kate's cradle cap and Seth lost a few pounds... but I predict we will see bigger results in the long term.

In the meantime, I'm just happy.

Happy where I am and eager for more.

Isn't that how little kids look at life? Maybe that's why they spend so much time laughing and tickling each other and rolling in grass and making mud pies and snorting milk out of their noses.

Maybe we should all do more of that. All of that. And watch more sunsets.

Composting

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:03:50 GMT

Quick post... baby's about to wake up from her morning nap.

I'm excited about getting back to composting. I've been reading about compost bins -- just trying to decide which kind to get. We have a ton of leaves and garden cuttings. I will need to work with our gardener to make sure he puts everything in the compost.

In the meantime, I am going to order a small kitchen compost pail so I can stop throwing away all this good stuff! It's so ridiculous to throw away good decomposing matter and then go out and BUY fertilizer. What a waste.

I'm also looking into harvesting rainwater. I know we don't get a lot of rain in LA -- but we do get a lot in the winter months. You can actually set up a rainwater harvesting system that purifies the water and makes it good enough to drink. I may not be able to do it in this house -- it may have to wait until we move to our next house. Along with my cow and chicken coop and my solar panels.

Busy day already

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:20:07 GMT

So much to do... today Kate and I are going to Whole Foods and Rawesome. If there's time (I doubt it but maybe) we will stop off at the YMCA. I want to find out about their swimming classes for babies.

I also need to harvest my basil and freeze a bunch of pesto. Not sure if that will happen today... maybe tomorrow or the next day. I have a thousand other things to do today.

Speaking of harvesting the basil, I really want to do more gardening. This site http://www.homegrownrevolution.org/ has inspired me. I guess I have been sort of busy this past year, what with moving and having a baby and all. :-)

Anyhow, I did manage to grow some edible things this year:

Basil
Tomatoes
Sage
Rosemary
Thyme
Parsley
Flat-leaf parsley

Everything in my garden is doing GREAT. I can grow herbs outside all year long. And I cook with herbs all the time. There is simply no reason to buy them in the store when I can grow them myself.

I want to grow some more herbs:

Dill
Oregano
Cilantro
Mint

I also want to get a Meyer lemon tree. Not sure where we would put it but perhaps I could just keep it in a pot. I bet I could also keep an avocado tree. And a lime tree. Those are fruits we use all the time but they don't come in my CSA box.

I'd also like to grow:

Potatoes
Fennel
Radicchio
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Arugula
Cabbage
Cucumbers (for pickles)
Grapes (I want the grape leaves for my pickles)

All things we either don't get in our box, or, in the case of carrots, we get very few. And I use carrots, celery and onions constantly. I love fresh carrot juice. I've been using Seth's juicer lately to make carrot juice, beet juice, and apple juice. It's so good.

I still have tons of room in the side yard to plant more stuff.

I'd also love to plant some beautiful springtime tulips and other bulbs in the front yard.

I think I shall order some seeds and bulbs.

I need to buy or make a compost bin of some sort. It is such a shame to throw all those good banana peels and eggshells in the garbage. And it will make my soil so much better.

Must go shower and dress now and get Seth's breakfast.

Louder Than Words

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:50:28 GMT

I read Jenny McCarthy's book, "Louder Than Words" last night.

It totally blew me away.

So moving and absolutely gripping. What I love about Jenny McCarthy is how forthright and honest she is. She calls it like she sees it. And she's not afraid to be herself. I really love and admire that in a person.

What she went through with her son's autism was so horrendous -- and it makes you so sad to realize that one out every 150 people in America are going through the same thing. I can't even imagine how hard it would be.

And yet it is becoming commonplace in America. How can this be? How can something so horrendous become commonplace?

We think we've got it so good here in America. We're nothing like the poor slobs living in Beirut, sleeping to the sound of bombs going off. We're so lucky to live in America.

Meanwhile one out of every 150 parents is going through a living hell. Seizures, (SIDS? -- there is speculation), tantrums and screaming all night long, loss of language and socialization, total inability to function.

I, like Jenny McCarthy, am absolutely convinced that this hell is avoidable and reversible. Not for everybody -- some kids can't recover. But I think most or at least many can. They may not be able to cure it completely but they can reverse it. And I think most or many people absolutely can avoid this nightmare.

The thing I loved the best about her book was her sentence (I'm paraphrasing), "This is not a book about autism. This is a book about faith."

Faith is believing when you have no evidence. Seeing in the dark. Faith is something I have worked on building in myself over the years. I am now an extremely faith-full person. Full of faith. I have total knowing (not just belief -- but knowing) that the Universe is conspiring in my favor. Pulling out all the stops for my good. I always know things will work out. And guess what, they always do. It's not always instant (in fact it rarely is), but it is always consistent.

And how cool is it that Jenny McCarthy (a very faith-full person herself) ended up with a guy like Jim Carrey? He strikes me as a pretty spiritual guy. Yes, they are celebrities and what do we really know, but I do know that he wrote a song called "Heaven Down Here" which was recorded by Tuck & Patti. It goes like this:

"Let's bring Heaven down here
I don't want to wait for the angels
Let's bring Heaven down here"

Yes, he really wrote that. I heard Patti say so herself on a local San Francisco talk show. (http://www.tuckandpatti.com/song_lear.html)

The other really cool thing about the book is how much diet and nutrition impacted Jenny's boy. The story she tells is nothing short of staggering.

Within TWO WEEKS of starting her son on a gluten-free, casein-free (wheat/dairy) diet, he said his first sentence. He had been able to say single words before the seizures happened at around the age of two. Words like "juice" and "milk" and "mama". And after doing some testing, they realized that he didn't even know what those words meant; he was just repeating his mother. Like she would say, "You want some juice?" and he would say, "Juice."

Then he had the MMR shot and had constant seizures. After the vaccine and subsequent seizures, he lost all language (this is a common pattern).

After just two weeks of being on the diet, he came up to his mom, tugged on her leg and said, "Want to go swimming".

Aside: Another diet story was in the introduction -- a doctor with an autistic son said that two weeks after giving him a daily supplement of cod liver oil, he regained eye contact and language.

After she got her son on the GFCF diet, Jenny learned about candida (an overgrowth of yeast in the gut, the same thing BTW that caused my arthritis and allergies when I was in my mid-twenties) which is common among autistic kids. She started him on Difulcan, which is a drug that kills the yeast. After that he went on massive doses of probiotics (they also kill off the yeast).

Jenny believes that her son was born with a weakened immune system, and the vaccines weakened it even more. Because his immune system was so weak (they found a doctor who had it tested and it was weaker than that of an AIDS patient), he continually got sick and had to take antibiotics, which killed off the good bacteria in his gut. The good bacteria is what kills off the yeast. When you don't have enough good bacteria, you get a yeast overgrowth. Which she believes is what causes the autism in many kids. (I agree with her.)

Anyhow, TWO WEEKS after he started on the Difulcan and was excreting massive amounts of yeast, they were watching a show on TV and he laughed at a joke. He had never done this before. Autistic kids don't "get" jokes.

Then he laughed again. This was the moment she knew she had saved her child. This was the first time, she said, that she had ever seen the real him.

Heartbreaking but joyous. I cried. Because she saved him. She loved him more than anything -- and most of all she believed. She had faith. She saw, even in the darkness.

What an amazing woman she is. I think she is going to help many, many people with this book. I think every parent and every aspiring parent should read this book. Everyone who is close to someone with an autistic child should read this book.

Anyone going through a tough time and needs a shot of faith should read this book.

Hurrah, Jenny McCarthy! I'm glad you are alive on this planet with us and I'm glad you are brave enough to be you. You are a wonderful spirit.

Abraham on appreciation vs. gratitude

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:22:06 GMT

"Appreciation: to see the nature of or to increase the value of"

"Love and appreciation are identical vibrations. It's the vibration of alignment with who you are. It's the absence of resistance. It's the absence of doubt and fear. It's the absence of self-denial or hatred to others. It's the absence of everything that feels bad and the presence of everything that feels good."

Right now I'm appreciating this glass of Riesling, the delicious seared ahi and salad I just had, Seth, my parents and in-laws, our baby Kate, Alla and Carla who both worked so hard today, and who are both so loving and such a delight to have in our home. I'm appreciating our cat Rita, the wonderful weather we had today, the quiet. The fact that I'm going to really enjoy sleeping tonight.

Open Letter to Trader Joe's

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:31:09 GMT

This is a great post about egg packaging:

http://www.homegrownrevolution.org/2007/10/open-letter-to-trader-joes.html

I agree! That is very fraudulent packaging. I used to feel so good buying my "free range" eggs at TJ's. Felt like I was doing something good. Little did I know I was being had.

I think it would be cool to make a t-shirt with both of the packages. Maybe I'll do that via Cafe Press.

I used to spend all my grocery money at TJ's but no longer. They don't sell pastured eggs so now I go to Rawesome. While there, I end up buying all my wild-caught fish and grass-fed beef. MUCH better than the mystery fish, grain-, corn-, and soy-fed beef, and "cage free" eggs Trader Joe's offers. (This is a lot of money, BTW, that is now not going to TJ's).

Trader Joe's also don't sell raw milk, raw butter, or raw cheese so now I get my dairy at Whole Foods and the Organic Pastures hub store. Although I will occasionally pick up a stick of KerryGold (pasteurized but cultured) at Trader Joe's in a pinch.

They have a lot of organic produce, it's true, but most of it comes from far away. And they don't list the names of farms. I'm not interested in produce that is trucked for hundreds and thousands of miles. I want local produce because it is fresher. I want to support local farms. So of course, now we are getting most of our produce from JR Organics, a farm in Escondido that offers CSA subscriptions. Anything I don't get in my box I pick up at Whole Foods, Rawesome, or at the farmer's market.

There is just no need to go to Trader Joe's anymore. I used to love Trader Joe's. Now not so much. They need to beef up their labeling practices and find better sources of food.

How I'd love to have my own chickens! One day...

Pediatricians: Big Pharma's Puppets

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:31:07 GMT

I've been reading more about vaccinations. Apparently this business of pediatricians scolding their patients, making them sign legal documents, and even refusing to continue treating them is VERY common. I've been hearing it more and more.

What is this all about? Why are doctors so concerned?

I mean, OK I can understand them getting a little concerned. Like if a pregnant mom smokes or drinks vodka. Doctors wouldn't make that mother sign legal papers and stop treating her, would they? I mean, they'd try to help her change her ways, try to teach her -- but would they *stop treating her*? I don't think so.

There has to be something else at work here.

Could it be... money? Financial incentives? From the pharmaceutical companies?

You think?

I'm finding more and more evidence that medical practices are paid by insurance companies for the number of children they immunize. They are called "pay-for-performance" programs.

http://www.la-kidmed.com/communitycare/immpfp.html

http://www.naph.org/naph/policyimmu.pdf

Ah, yes... here it is!

http://www.himss.org/content/files/PayForPerformance.pdf

It lists a program in California called IHA -- Integrated Healthcare Association.

They pay practices up to $150 million per year based on meeting certain criteria: patient satisfaction, treatment of chronic conditions, and oh, yes, vaccinations.

No wonder these doctors get so pissed off when you don't want to vaccinate. You're messing with their percentages! They want their bonuses.

I just got an email from a friend -- a fellow mom in our neighborhood. She was talking about a pediatrician in LA -- one of the FEW who is OK with parents in his practice not vaccinating their children.

My friend wrote about the pediatrician in her email:

"He talks about the drug companies and he has a policy that nobody in the office is allowed to go to lunch, or take any perks from the drug companies. He said this is a problem in other offices."

Interestingly this doctor does not accept insurance. It's $200 per well baby visit.

Gee, think there's a connection?

And yeah, we're going to switch pediatricians. I don't care if we have to pay $200/visit. I'll pay. It's worth it.

Post-Thanksgiving exhaustion, vaccines, and soy oil

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 04:45:54 GMT

Kate is down for the night. I'm soaking raw pumpkin seeds (from the pumpkins I used for pumpkin pie) and simmering the turkey carcass to make stock.

I'm so exhausted. The past week has been a whirlwind of shopping, menu planning, roasting, basting, measuring, mixing, baking and cleaning. I feel like I need a vacation now.

Which of course I'm not getting. I went to bed after 11:30 pm last night (trying to wind down after such a long day) and got up at 6:30 to tend to Kate. And I tended to her all day -- picking her up and kissing her when she bonked her head on the metal coffee table, feeding her ground turkey with chicken liver pate and butternut squash with butter, doing dishes, doing laundry, heating up bottles and changing poopy diapers. She went down at 5 pm, as usual. A 10 and a half hour day -- not so bad. Mothers don't get a day off.

My single friends spent the day at the movies. Last night at dinner, they talked about all the movies they'd seen lately. I couldn't really add anything to the conversation. And for much of it, I had no idea what they were talking about. Being a new parent, I haven't seen a movie in the theater since I tried to go see "Oceans 13" when Kate was a couple of months old and she pooped halfway up her backside and we had to leave the theater.

Ah, memories...

Anyway, I'm not complaining. I have seen enough movies for a lifetime. Okay, not for a lifetime, but I can skip seeing movies for a while is all I'm saying. And Seth gets those "FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION" movies so I guess I could be watching movies if I really wanted to. We just got "Into the Wild" in the mail for example.

But instead I am relaxing with a glass of wine, reading about vaccines. The more I read, the more I am convinced that waiting on vaccines -- or refusing them altogether -- is the right thing to do.

Read this:

Because of the dramatic increase in the number of injuries from childhood vaccines over the past decades, Congress enacted the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, setting up a fund to compensate parents for injured or dead children (as if a parent could ever be "compensated" for the loss of their child due to vaccination). Application to this fund is the first step parents must take when their child has been harmed; thus, the fund serves to shield the pharmaceutical company from all initial liability. To date, the fund has paid out over $1.2 billion to parents with over 12,000 reports made every year. This is a staggering number considering how many reactions occur that medical authorities refuse to attribute to the vaccine. And if David Kessler is correct and 90-99 percent of all injuries are not even reported, the true number of children injured or killed by vaccines would be 1.2 million or more per year.

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/vaccinations.html

Doesn't that scare you? It scares me. And that's just a taste of what I'm reading. I'm not just reading the crackpot left-wing fringe websites either. I told that pediatrician I would research it and I am. I'm reading everything.

Read this, from the CBS News site (not exactly a crackpot left-wing fringe website):

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/06/15/couricandco/entry2934107.shtml

Come on, people. One in 160 kids with autism. That is CRAZY. If vaccines are not to blame, something else is. Something is not right.

Here's another heinous thing I read -- about the Hepatitis B shot, which is now administered at birth:

A flagrant example of the poor science behind vaccination development, the FDA approved the vaccine for use after only 1636 doses of Recombivax HB were administered to only 653 children who were subsequently monitored for only 5 days after each dose.6 Since the vaccine is recommended for the first day of life, Merck was asked for safety data on newborns. They replied, "We have none. Our studies were done on 5- and 10-year-olds."7 Further, Merck admitted in 1996 that no data is "available for the simultaneous administration of Recombivax HB with other vaccines" even though children are routinely given other vaccines along with Recombivax HB vaccine.

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/vaccinations.html

Good Lord! They test cough medicine more than that.

Oh, wait. Maybe not: http://www.newstarget.com/022209.html

Do I really want my child to be a guinea pig for the likes of Merck? And Hepatitis B is only transmitted through sex and dirty needles. Hmm -- yeah, I guess Kate was high risk, seeing how there's so much casual sex and intravenous drug usage in the maternity ward. Oh, yes, a mother can infect her baby during birth -- but couldn't they just administer a simple blood test to the mothers instead of giving our newborns a shot?

Oh, right, a blood test COSTS them money. The Hep B shot MAKES them money.

Anyway, I'll keep reading. I'll keep researching. As I said, when and if I find enough evidence to convince me that vaccines are safe and beneficial, we'll get them for Kate.

I have also been thinking a lot about baby food. Since lately Kate is eating 2 (soon to be 3) squares a day.

The recommendation from pediatricians is to start babies on rice cereal.

Have you read the label on a box of Gerber rice cereal lately? I had bought some for Kate -- it was sitting in the cupboard. Needless to say, after reading the ingredients, I promptly dumped it in the trash.

Rice Flour , Soy Oil-Lecithin , Tri- and Dicalcium Phosphate , Tocopherols Vitamin E , Electrolytic Iron , Zinc Sulfate , Niacinamide a B Vitamin , Riboflavin Vitamin B-2 , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride Vitamin B-6 , Thiamin Vitamin B-1 , Folic Acid a B Vitamin , Vitamin B-12 Cyanocobalamin

Number 2 ingredient: Soy oil-lecithin.

Do you know what that is?

First of all, it's a genetically modified food. (http://www.safe-food.org/-consumer/shop.html)

Do you know what that means? No? Neither do I exactly. So WHY are we feeding it to our babies? Genetically modified foods are... well, just google it and look:

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/AboutGeneticallyModifiedFoods/index.cfm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm
http://www.netlink.de/gen/fagan.html

Need I go on? No, I need not. Suffice it to say that CLEARLY it would be better to give a 7-month old baby REAL food instead of "Franken-food" that has zillions of websites chronicling its dangers.

OK so we've established that GM foods are sketchy and possibly dangerous and at the very least, should be avoided due to the fact that (a) most people don't know what they are and (b) most people don't know what they do to you.

Let's get back to the issue at hand. Soy oil-lecithin.

Soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a "degumming" process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid.

Historian William Shurtleff reports that the expansion of the soybean crushing and soy oil refining industries in Europe after 1908 led to a problem disposing the increasing amounts of fermenting, foul-smelling sludge. German companies then decided to vacuum dry the sludge, patent the process and sell it as "soybean lecithin." Scientists hired to find some use for the substance cooked up more than a thousand new uses by 1939.8

Today lecithin is ubiquitous in the processed food supply. It is most commonly used as an emulsifier to keep water and fats from separating in foods such as margarine, peanut butter, chocolate candies, ice cream, coffee creamers and infant formulas.

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/lecithin.html

But the fact that soy oil-lecithin is a highly refined genetically modified waste food product is not the only concern at hand...

There are a number of potential problems with eating soy:

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/03summary.htm

Endocrine disrupter. Reduction of vitamin assimilation. Potentially leads to thyroid cancer. MSG. Aluminum.

Aaaagggghhhhh. Great. Let's mess with Kate's endocrine system, reduce her vitamin absorption, and make her susceptible to obesity, diabetes, infertility and cancer.

WHY is this the number 2 ingredient in Gerber rice cereal? Why is soy oil-lecithin an ingredient in rice cereal at all? Why is THIS promoted as baby's first food?

Why don't they just make rice cereal out of rice? Maybe add a little butter.

Oh, right, then it wouldn't have the shelf life it does (nearly indefinite).

Why is soy oil the third ingredient listed in Enfamil infant formula? (http://www.epinions.com/content_237968723588)

The fifth ingredient in Similac? (http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100367&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod3061)

The third ingredient in Nestle Good Start? (http://www.amazon.com/Nestle-Essentials-Infant-Formula-Powder/dp/B000GCL5HO)

Doesn't that make you go HMMM?

It's in everything -- including baby food -- because it is a cheap industrial-grade product. Soy is cheap to grow and produce.

Makes you wonder if this has anything to do with children's declining immunity, allergies to peanuts, increased diabetes, early-onset puberty, etc.

A better use for soy oil?

Biodiesel!

http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/biodiesel.html

It can make cars run -- just like gasoline. Is that what we should be putting in our babies' bodies?

I leave you with this (a good article on soy):
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/13/CMGJKK1BP31.DTL

Note the last quotation from Marion Nestle: "People don't have to eat soy if they don't want to!" Nestle says. Uh, okay, I guess not -- but what if it's in everything we buy?

Not a woman's holiday

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:55:59 GMT

Leaf lard rendered and cooled - CHECK
Giblet stock made and cooled - CHECK
Turkey in brine - CHECK
Pie dough made - CHECK
Pumpkins roasting in oven - CHECK
Porcini mushrooms soaking in water - CHECK
Table set (OK well not totally but the plates, cloth napkins, candles and silverware are out) - CHECK
Seth sufficiently cocktailed and ordering Indian food delivery - CHECK

Am taking short and very well-deserved break with glass of rose.

Whew!

Now I only have the following things to do:

Pump breast milk (sorry if that's TMI, but it's on the list)
Chop celery, onion, leek, garlic, bacon, et al (hello Cuisinart!) and sautee
Chop porcini and sausage and sautee
Combine with bread crusts and bake stuffing (reserving some to stuff turkey with -- I'm flying blind on how much to reserve -- I'll follow my intuition)
Roll out pie crusts and blind bake
Remove pumpkin from oven, let cool and make pumpkin pie filling
Peel, core and slice apples and make apple pie filling
Bake pies (yes, tonight!)
Make homemade ice cream
Pump breast milk again
Go to bed
Get up at 4:30 am and take the turkey out of the fridge, drain, and let sit out
Go back to bed!
Get up at 6 am with This Lady, change her, nurse her
Melt butter, mix with a bottle of white wine, and soak cheese cloth in mixture
Put cheesecloth on the turkey and get the bird in the oven NO LATER THAN 7 am!
Baste and watch turkey like hawk over the next 6.5 hours
Make gravy
Find something to serve the gravy in (??? I don't own a gravy boat)
Set the table for real
Find all the serving utensils (who knows where they are?)
Shower and dress, brush teeth
Put out tray of cheese, crackers, pickles and olives
What am I forgetting? Something I'm sure. ARGH!

Are you exhausted yet?

I think our lovely Alla was right. She said, shaking her head, "This is not a woman's holiday."

I love the wisdom and the sweet morose nature of the Russian people.

Seth is playing me the album he recorded in 1992. It's really good! This is the first time I've heard it. I'm IMPRESSED. Holy crap it's good. It's De La Soul meets Public Enemy meets Cibo Matto (or maybe Fantastic Plastic Machine) meets Lou Reed meets the Beastie Boys. He even covers a song by Hank Williams, "My Love For You Has Turned to Hate".

He's brilliant. Seriously, I would have bought this album if it had ever gone on sale. I think everyone would have. It's that good.

This is why I love him. Among so many other reasons. What a brilliant man he is.

Termites don't eat healthy trees

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:36:03 GMT

This is one of the most fascinating blog posts I have ever read:

http://yoursacredself.blogspot.com/2007/10/termites-dont-eat-healthy-trees.html

"The inner ecosystem of the body is the prime determinant in disease risk."

This makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

I love the part about his trip to the Himalayas -- how the more sickly people were bitten by leeches and the healthier, sturdier people were not.

I also really like his explanation of cancer. The toxins and waste matter in the body have nowhere else to go. So they try to localize -- into tumors. Gosh, doesn't that make sense to you? It does to me.

Allopathic (Western medicine) has never made sense to me. OK, sure, having a C-section was helpful when my baby was breech. I do appreciate Western medicine during those times when surgery is required.

It's just that the standard protocol of suppressing and covering up symptoms instead of treating the cause DOES NOT WORK.

Which leads one to ask the question -- logically, how would injecting vaccines into nutritionally depleted, sickly kids with weak immune systems and very few helpful bacteria in their guts help make their immune systems stronger? It doesn't make any sense.

Many parents with autistic kids have been speaking out about the lack of good bacteria in their kids' digestive tracts. These kids tend to be allergic to dairy and wheat (casein and gluten). Uh, for the most part that's pasteurized dairy and refined flour, by the way. I have read the testimony of some parents who say their autistic children tolerate raw milk just fine.

I wonder it all of this relates to the phenomenon of all these kids being allergic to peanuts. I wonder if they had more good bacteria in their gut, they might not be allergic to everything.

Lard and giblet stock success!

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:35:45 GMT

I know, I know, I gotta go to bed. 6 am wake up call, yes, yes, I know.

But I just have to tell you that the stock I made is absolutely unbelievable. SO rich and gorgeous. It smells amazing and it tastes so luxurious and big -- just one step down from foie gras. It is going to make the BEST gravy and stuffing.

And the lard looks excellent too! Not that I really know what lard should look like. But it seemed OK to me.

Both were strained and cooled enough to pour into glass, and are now in containers chilling in the fridge. Whew!

Finally, good night!

Leaf lard, turkey giblet stock, and a German meal made by a Russian

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:44:25 GMT

Tonight, for the first time in my life, I rendered lard.

It was pretty easy!

Actually I'm not quite done yet. It's still on the stove, melting in the cast iron skillet (this is the best way to do it so I've read -- because it has the added advantage of seasoning the skillet). When it's as melted as it's gonna get, I need to strain it and cool it. Not sure how long it will take to fully melt -- we shall see. If it's not done before I go to bed, I'll stick it in the oven on low heat overnight.

It needs to be very cold by tomorrow night however, so I can get my pie crusts made in time. I may just strain it tonight.

I followed this recipe:

http://www.obsessionwithfood.com/2006_01_01_blog-archive.html#113709378997673043

I also made turkey giblet stock -- from the lungs and heart and liver and gizzards (secondary stomachs). It is also still simmering on the stove. The stock will be going into the stuffing and the gravy.

Here's the recipe I used for the stock:

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=a508d067aa265110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f48b5d59970e4110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=recipecontent_food&lnc=5a79cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD

YIKES that is a long URL! Ha!

Anyway, turkey giblets are incredibly good for you. Simmering them in water (with vegetables and herbs) turns all those nutrients into a very concentrated broth. Extremely nutritious!

Alla (our nanny) stayed late to help me with the stock and the lard, not to mention the laundry. I didn't wnat her driving home yet anyway because the traffic was HIDEOUS. I guess people were out driving around to get things for Thanksgiving -- or maybe they were leaving to go out of town. I don't know what they were doing but they were ALL out there, clogging up every street and highway. UGH!

After she helped me with the stock and the lard, Alla helped me with the dishes and whipped up some dinner. "You're nursing!" she implored. "You need to eat!"

So she boiled some cauliflower (from my CSA box) and then rolled it in raw egg and then cooked it in butter. I ate that with Bratwurst (also prepared by Alla) and my homemade sauerkraut, and a bottle of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. So delicious! And very healthy. All organic, with lots of good fat and probiotics.

I must go to bed now. I have my 6 am wake-up call from This Lady. And tomorrow I have to get everything ready for Thanksgiving: bake pies, make homemade ice cream, set the table, assemble everything mis en place in the kitchen (there are a thousand details that go into this stuffing -- it's a recipe from Martha after all), and brine the turkey. Plus fifteen other things (phone calls, etc.) that I need to do for Seth.

Good night! Oh, wait, I have to go strain the lard and the stock. OK, good night in a little while!

PS: I also ordered my kombucha baby today. I can't wait to get it and start making kombucha! I also ordered some fil mjolk (Swedish culture that makes something similar to buttermilk), kefir grains, sourdough starter, and various other things like cheesecloth and lids for my mason jars.

PS2: The sauerkraut, as mentioned, has come out very well.

The pickles taste fine (well two of the jars did -- one tasted off so I dumped it). They are not QUITE as crunchy as I'd like them (I couldn't get my hands on any grape leaves) however they are still good. But I'm going to give them a few more days.

The papaya chutney tastes pretty good -- I think I'll refrigerate it in the next day or two (refrigeration stops the fermenting).

The orange marmalade was a miserable failure.

OK really I must go now and strain and cool my potions (that is what Seth calls them) so I can go to bed!

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:01:02 GMT

This diet we are on is working.

Seth weighed himself this morning -- first time in a month or two (which is how long we've been on the diet). He lost 7 pounds! He hasn't been working out or anything.

And we haven't actually been following the diet plan in "Eat Fat, Lose Fat". I kept saying we would get around to following it strictly, but then I kept being busy with lots of other things so I couldn't put a meal plan together.

Here's what we have been consuming a lot of:

Raw milk
Raw butter
Raw milk cheese
Pastured eggs
Whole grain sprouted bread (Eziekel brand, available at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods)
Whole grain rye bread (Mestemacher German bread)
Whole grain crackers (Wasa and Finn Crisp)
Organic free-range chicken and turkey
Organic grass-fed beef and bison
Organic nitrate-free pork sausage and bacon
Wild-caught fish (mostly salmon, mahi mahi and tuna -- you want wild, not farm-raised)
Lots of organic fruits and vegetables (we have a salad nearly every evening)
Brown or white rice
Oatmeal (unprocessed rolled oats, soaked to improve digestion)
Coconut oil and butter for cooking
Olive oil and apple cider vinegar for salad dressing
Kombucha
Kefir
Chicken stock (homemade, organic)
Some nuts and popcorn (popped in coconut oil and served with melted butter and sea salt)
Sea salt
Organic coffee
Coconut milk in smoothies and sauces and curries
Coconut juice
Filtered water
Sparkling water
The only sweeteners we use are stevia, rapadura, and raw honey
Wine -- I try to get organic (Seth still drinks a cocktail in the evening -- usually Scotch or Bourbon)

What we have been avoiding:

Processed foods
Fast foods
Restaurant foods (very little compared to what we used to eat)
White sugar or anything made with it
White flour or anything made with it
Vegetable oil, canola, shortening, etc.
Industrial corn
Soy
Aspartame or other laboratory sweeteners
Sodas
Juices (unless I squeeze it fresh)
Tap water
Things with MSG or other "mystery" ingredients
I don't buy anything in a box or package unless it has VERY FEW ingredients (under ten) and I can pronounce them all and know what they are
I don't buy anything that is advertised on television

We have not been perfect. We had In & Out one night because we were too tired to cook. Seth eats out more than I do. But he is still losing weight.

A typical day goes like this:

Breakfast is coffee AND strawberry smoothie (raw milk or kefir, organic bananas, organic strawberries, egg yolks, stevia) OR eggs/bacon/toast OR oatmeal with raisins OR toast and homemade cream cheese

Lunch is usually an apple and some cheese and crackers/bread OR a salad OR grilled cheese sandwich OR the like. If we are in meetings, we eat out.

Dinner is wine (or Seth's cocktail) AND a big salad AND either fish or chicken or beef AND vegetables (butternut squash, artichoke, zucchini, what-have-you) AND/OR rice (usually only a couple of times a week)

I'll expand to other grains like amaranth and quinoa and whatnot eventually. Tonight we are eating bratwurst (hormone- and antibiotic-free shipped from Sweet Briar Farms) and homemade sauerkraut and maybe some potoates.

I have not lost any weight but I don't expect to. I think that as long as I'm nursing, I'll carry this extra 20 pounds. I've heard that happens to lots of women. I'm sure the weight will come off when Kate starts walking and I'm constantly running after her.

My teeth are really clean, too, now that I'm using this Tooth Soap. Seriously, when I'm done brushing (and I'm not spending any extra time -- just doing it like I normally do), it feels like I just went to the dentist and had a professional cleaning. My teeth are SQUEAKY clean. They have never felt this way using toothpaste.

They are also not sensitive like they used to be. I used to have a dull pain most of time. It's gone. After only two weeks! I think the diet is helping this too. Especially the raw milk and cod liver oil. I seriously think something good is happening with my teeth.

I read that you can use Dr. Bronner's too. I read that Dr. Bronner's has a very small amount of glycerin (like 2-3%) so it should not inhibit remineralization of the teeth. Just squirt it on your toothbrush and use it in lieu of toothpaste.

Anyway, I like the way the Tooth Soap tastes so I'm going to keep using it. They are having a 25% off sale right now, too. (http://www.perfect-prescription.com/special.htm) Time to stock up!

Meanwhile I'm researching ways to filter our water to remove the fluoride. The more I read, the more I am convinced that fluoride CAUSES cavities. It's an aluminum waste product that they needed to get rid of. Why not put it in the drinking water and say it's good for you? They used to say cigarettes were good for you, too. And margarine. And vegetable oil.

OK I have to go now and get dinner and render the leaf lard which I keep saying every day that I am going to do and I still haven't done it. I have to make the pies on Tuesday!

Oops that is tomorrow. It MUST be done tonight! No more foolin' around.

What Would Jesus Buy?

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:09:22 GMT

A new movie produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), about the commercialization of Christmas in America:

http://wwjbmovie.com/

Looks very funny!

Pastured turkey and chickens

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:12:16 GMT

I'm so excited! I was able to get a real, 100% organic, pastured turkey that was not fed soy. Woo hoo!

I had put a turkey on order at Whole Foods -- but I wasn't really happy about the decision. While it was organic, it was probably fed soy as almost all turkeys are -- because it's cheap (soy dangers: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html) and while they said it was "free range", it was not pastured. What this means is that it has *access* to the outdoors -- which means it could go out once in its life.

Pastured turkeys, like pastured chickens and eggs, are SO MUCH BETTER for you.

Mother Earth News did a laboratory test of commercial eggs vs. pastured eggs. They say pastured eggs may contain:

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx

Anyway, I got the turkey yesterday at Rawesome, the private buying club in Venice. Turns out the farmer who was selling the pastured turkeys is the same one who sells the pastured eggs. I just started buying the pastured eggs last week and I cannot tell you how much better they are. The yolks are BRIGHT ORANGE. James, the owner at Rawesome, even let me talk to the farmer on the phone, and she confirmed that all her chickens and turkey are raised on grass, and she told me she doesn't feed them any soy. Who can ask for better than that?

OK I gotta run. I have to make baby formula, pick up our CSA box, swing by Whole Foods to pick up some things (and cancel my turkey order), make giblet stock, and render my leaf lard.

PS: The Grinch is at it again, slithering all over the floor. She could care less about her toys -- she just wants to play with the metal/glass coffee table with all the sharp edges. And the plastic bags on the newspapers. Sigh.

Homemade baby food

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:48:20 GMT

Busy day today. Got up, nursed, made coffee, did dishes and laundry, and whipped up breakfast for Kate: 1/4 tsp cod liver oil, a soft-boiled egg yolk with frozen organic grass-fed liver grated over it, and some defrosted applesauce (homemade from organic apples).

Then I made a batch of baby formula and packed lunch. Wasa whole wheat crackers, raw cheese, an apple, some raw milk with two egg yolks mixed in for me, and some applesauce, butternut squash (leftover from dinner last night) and formula for her. Then she napped, I showered, and we headed over to the park to meet my mother's group.

I think Kate is going to be a tomboy. She tried to pull grass and eat leaves the whole time we were at the park. I wouldn't really mind if she ate leaves -- I'm sure it wouldn't hurt her. But I don't want her to choke on them. So the whole time I had to keep moving her. She could care less about her toys and didn't want to stay on the blanket. Finally she found the wheels on the stroller and that kept her occupied for a while.

I keep flashing back on Seth's baby photos -- he was probably like a year and a half and he was carrying around a tire. A TIRE. Sheesh!

She is also still *almost* crawling. She creeps and slithers around the floor like the Grinch.

Oh, and did I mention that she is WAVING? She does that backward wave -- opening and closing her fingers. I wasn't sure if she understood that it was a wave, but then yesterday we were at Surfas buying kitchen and gourmet supplies for Thanskgiving and she waved at the people behind the counter! I think it's that "Sharing Signs" video we watch every day. She is learning!

When she gets up from her nap we are going to go downtown to the Organic Pastures store to get milk and cream. I am going to need a lot for Thanksgiving. Sarah's talking about going over to Rawesome too -- maybe we'll go with her. I need more eggs and butter for my pies, and milk and cream for homemade ice cream.

I picked up some chicken livers the other day at Whole Foods. I'm going to start feeding it to Kate. When I saw the pediatrician yesterday, she said I needed to feed Kate cereal for the iron. But I don't want to give her cereal yet because it is not easy to digest (and WAPF doesn't recommend giving it to a baby this early).

In the US, Dr. Nancy Krebs headed up a large infant growth study that found breastfed infants who received puréed or strained meat as a primary weaning food beginning at four to five months grew at a slightly faster rate. Kreb's study suggests that inadequate protein or zinc from common first foods may limit the growth of some breastfed infants during the weaning period. More importantly, both protein and zinc levels were consistently higher in the diets of the infants who received meat. Thus, the custom of providing large amounts of cereals and excluding meats before seven months of age may short-change the nutritional requirements of the infant.

Meat is also an excellent source of iron. Heme iron (the form of iron found in meat) is better absorbed than iron from plant sources (non-heme). Additionally, the protein in meat helps the baby more easily absorb iron from other foods. Two recent studies, have examined iron status in breastfed infants who received meat earlier in the weaning period. While researchers found no measurable change in breastfed babies' iron stores when they received an increased amount of meat, the levels of hemoglobin (iron-containing cells) circulating in the bloodstream did increase. Meat also contains a much greater amount of zinc than cereals, which means more is absorbed. These studies confirm the practices of traditional peoples, who gave meat -- usually liver -- as the first weaning food. Furthermore, the incidence of allergic reactions to meat is minimal and lower still when puréed varieties are used. (http://www.westonaprice.org/children/nourish-baby.html)

So I am feeding her beef liver and chicken liver instead of cereal. Apparently there is almost as much iron in liver as there is in fortified cereal (http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/iron_requirements.html) AND it is actually a lot better in terms of absorption (15-30% for meat sources of iron compared to 5% for other sources)

I've been taking beef liver tablets to make sure I get my iron. Because I'm not crazy about liver.

And I just found this recipe for chicken liver pate:

http://www.jacquespepin.net/members/recipes/chickenliverpate.html

Yum! Sounds good! Maybe Seth will even eat it.

I'm also going to whip up some more varieties of baby food for Kate, purees that I can freeze: beets, carrots, ans sweet potatoes.

I also have to render my leaf lard today.