Taking Betty Crocker To A Whole New Level!

Remember when I said I don't really cook? Haven't because I didn't need to, with boxed pasta and frozen stuff and all. Well, the last couple of weeks have been a major turnaround. These are some of the things I've made for the first time in my life:

• homemade pasta sauce
• variation of veggie lasagna using homemade pasta sauce, raw cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, and throwing in spinach and turnip greens (the latter of which I have never even eaten before this experiment)
• roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots
  
• chicken stock (from the roasted chicken carcass)
  
• vegetable soup with kidney beans
• baked oatmeal
• banana molasses muffins
• pineapple corn muffins
• whole grain waffles (from scratch!!!)
• bread, bread, and more bread ... even have a sourdough starter bubbling away on my counter, almost ready for my first batch of non-breadmachine bread!
• sweet brown rice soaked overnight in yogurt water, with banana, real flaked coconut, and coconut oil added after it was cooked (this was for Maggie's breakfast this morning - I'm honestly not this adventurous, though it smelled delicious!)
• spinach nuggets
• cottage potatoes (a new favorite in our home!)
• ...and this evening's adventure, homemade lara-type-bars

Tonight's experiment has to be one of my favorites because it's a huge money saver, too. Not that I even knew what a Larabar was up until recently. Well, I had seen them in the store, but I don't usually buy energy-type bars. It was pretty cool when I accidentally found out that these are whole foods bars. Or as they say on their website, "NO ADDED SUGAR * UNPROCESSED * RAW * NON- GMO * GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE * VEGAN * KOSHER" Pretty cool, huh? So I bought the first one a week ago... and quickly fell in love. But Larabars are expensive. And that's where the cool part came in. The recipe I tried saves you at least half, if not more, over buying them retail. And you control the ingredients. I like that a lot. Plus it gave me an excuse to try out the new food processor. :)

I've also been dabbling in soaking nuts and grains to unlock the untapped nutrients that we usually can't get from them otherwise. So the flour for all my baked goods were soaked overnight in raw milk (like the waffles) and they have come out so tasty! The nuts haven't been so easy. For them to technically be raw and unspoiled (since oils in them go rancid at high temps) after soaking in sea-salted water for 6-12 hours, you then have to dry them out slowly. Like dehydrator slowly. Which I do not have. I tried doing the cashews in the oven (which cashews are okay up to 170 degrees or so because they're technically already heated before you get them, no matter what) but I didn't dry them out long enough. They got moldy 2 days later and some time after tossing them, I found Margaret helping herself to the garbage buffet. Ugh! So I guess I need to get some more started. The almonds were trickier. Those aren't supposed to go above 150 degrees, and our oven doesn't go that low. It was quite the ballet of me turning the oven on and off again to try to get the right temp for proper drying. After that, I convinced hubby to let me get an inexpensive dehydrator. I need it for our new lifestyle, especially since Maggie and I love to eat nuts. (And don't get all dirty on me about that! That's my daughter I'm talking about!)

In all this cooking/baking frenzy, though, some things have been forgotten. Guess I better get some laundry done instead of hanging around on here. :)

ETA: BTW, you would think with all this cooking (and butter and coconut oil) that I would be packing on the pounds, right? I'm still at 3 lbs under where I was a month ago, maybe a little more. So at nearly 24 weeks of pregnancy, I've only gained 10 pounds so far (which I was the same at this point with Maggie, though in the end, I gained over 30 pounds with her!).

Adventures in SAHM-hood!

I would have updated earlier but I forgot my blogger password. Yeah, my brain is gone.

In any case... let's see, where did we leave off? OH yeah, Margaret had her 2nd appointment with the naturopath on the 18th. We're trying to see if there's a food allergy that's the root of her ear infections and asthma. So this is the plan:

• We've had to eliminate these oils: sunflower, corn, soy, peanut, safflower, and canola. Most of those are pretty bad for you anyway (processing destroys the good stuff, makes them rancid, and there's hexane used often in the processing) but even many health food store finds have safflower oil, so that's been a difficult adjustment. This has resulted in me suddenly blossoming into Betty Crocker. More on that later...
  
• So next, we had to start focusing on foods that are high in quercetin - this is an anti-inflammatory that is purported to help ease allergy symptoms. These foods include: broccoli, apples, onions, garlic, squash, parsley, and spinach. Luckily, Margaret loves many of those and we haven't had any problems getting those into her on a daily basis.
• We have to ensure, in general, an adequate intake of protein. This is where the naturopath and I diverge because she recommends some soy products, and I feel those should not be given to anyone. Yes, we had Maggie on soy formula for much of her infancy. It was something I didn't want to do but it solved our problem at the time and so I chose to look the other way. Not smart, but that's what I did. Now, I do my best to keep soy out of her diet. It's only "healthy" when prepared properly (that is, naturally fermented) but I still avoid it because of the phytoestrogens. So instead, we focus on other healthy proteins and ignore the soy recommendations.
• I have to place her pillows in the dryer for 30 minutes on high once a week when I change the sheets. Yeah. I know I should have been doing that all along. I'm supposed to do that for me because I have a severe dust mite allergy. But I rarely find the time for it. Oh yeah, and when I change her sheets, I need to vacuum her mattress and window treatments. I actually managed to do this last Monday (in spite of her desperate fear of the vacuum) and am supposed to tomorrow. I guess I need to make this a routine for the sake of her health since Maggie very likely does suffer from a dust mite allergy as well.
• We're adding supplements. $65 worth of them. Woohoo, eh? Composition Essence (herbal concoction) twice a day in her water; HMF-Forte (probiotic), 1/2 capsule at bedtime; Nordic Naturals DHA Junior (Cod Liver Oil), 1/3 tsp daily with food (for immune function and as an anti-inflammatory); and lastly, a liquid Multi-Vitamin and -Mineral, 1 tsp daily with food (which she hates). I tried the supplement route with her before. It never went well. Yet somehow, she's settled into a routine and is willingly taking them now. She even likes the Composition Essence, as long as it's served in her Klean Kanteen.
• Lastly, chiropractic care. It turns out she had swelling in her neck, and a vertebrae out of place where asthma usually manifests. She's had 4 treatments so far and is doing very well with them. She has one this week (when we follow-up with the naturopath as well), and then they'll hopefully start spacing out a bit. The chiro did say that her spine is taking the adjustments well and that there has been progress made.

The next step is to remove dairy if she isn't improved, but I'm fighting that. I don't believe she is allergic to dairy and I feel that our recent introduction of raw milk is actually beneficial to asthma and allergies, if given a chance. But it could take a couple of months for her body to heal and for us to see a difference, so we need to wait that out first. I first learned about raw milk on a forum I frequent and it's turned into a huge learning experience about traditional foods and the Weston A. Price Foundation.

In any case, since we removed these oils from Maggie's diet and I've had to make food from scratch, it's really been a launching off point for learning more about traditional foods. I've tried out numerous recipes using whole foods in the way we should be eating them, and it's been fun even if sometimes only Maggie appreciates the effort (like the vegetable soup that I tried making, even though I've never even eaten just vegetables in soup before). Heck, I even have a sourdough starter on the counter in which I used a cup of rye flour and a cup of water to catch a wild yeast and let what should happen in nature, happen. I'm looking forward to my first loaf of sourdough bread in a few days! I've also really enjoyed what I've read so far in Nourishing Traditions. It really opens your mind to how the last century has dramatically changed the way people have eaten, and how those changes are much to blame for the health problems we have today. So I'm gradually incorporating what I'm learning into our daily lives so that we all will be healthier.

All this cooking means that I've been washing a lot of dishes...but not much else. The decluttering has sort of gone to the wayside for now. At least until I get into more of a routine with the cooking and baking. You don't realize how much convenience food is interwoven into our lives until you remove it entirely. Not that we used a lot of it before, and we always used foods that were free of white flour, refined sugar, and artificial colors/sweeteners. But this is a whole new ball game!

Maggie is probably pretty happy I'm not decluttering anyway. She hates it enough when I wash dishes, and I usually try to wait until she's napping (though she doesn't nap every day either). She's having a lot of fun requiring me to read the same book repeatedly, or playing with things that she shouldn't be playing with. She's learned some new signs now that I've had the time to devote to learning them myself, and while she normally does not watch TV, she has grown to love her 2 Baby Signing Time DVDs. She even signs "baby" when she wants to watch it. She also enjoys our frequent trips to the post office and grocery store. We haven't made it to many playgroups yet, but she has had a chance to hang out with some new kids a few times now.

As for the baby on the way, s/he's been kicking away. Growing stronger every day, and taking up more room. I actually lost 3 lbs since I became a SAHM (due to the lack of time to eat and not having convenience food available) but I'm definitely having more difficulties bending over and doing the things I was used to doing. I also no longer have the stamina to hold Maggie for a long time, which upsets her greatly. But she is, last time we checked, over 31.5 lbs so that's a lot of stress on anyone.

Money has gotten really tight, especially with few parties on my calendar, but we're making due. This was to be expected. Hubby is a bit disappointed because now he has to work at his part-time job (he works at a local ski area and often would get off early and ski for a couple of hours for free), but he's making up for it by going out to ski with friends once or twice a week anyway. I'm rarely seeing him these days. So far I've managed to not lose my mind, but I'm looking forward to the end of the winter and (hopefully) better financial times for me. We'll manage, one way or another.

A Growing Belly & Shrinking Hair!

Did I forget to say that I had my hair hacked off on Sunday?

I don't usually have long hair, but I had let it grow out for the last 2 years. Yup, I went 2 years without a single haircut. Sunday I had enough and had it cut off. 10 inches were donated to Locks of Love, and I probably lost another 2 inches or so after that with shaping. My head feels so much lighter!


And for comparison on the belly, the above is 20 weeks 6 days, below is 14 weeks 5 days:


We won't even delve into how horribly my skin is responding to pregnancy right now. It's pitiful.

So Much Going On!

I swear, I'm busier now than I was when I worked full time outside the house! Geez!

I did have a party my last day of work. I guess I'll always wonder if it was the result of my co-worker's nosing around. Not even everyone who works there heard about it, so it sounds like a last minute plan to me. Regardless, they let me party from 10AM until the end of the day (12:30PM) so at least I had an easy last day. I've already received my payout for accumulated sick/vacation time and am waiting on the finance board to okay the dispersal of my pension funds (the only way I can afford to stay home). It's done, it's over, and I'm glad I don't have to go there anymore!!!!

But we went out with a bang. We've been sick. Maggie had the puking bug over the weekend, and I have a killer head cold that won't quit. My head keeps getting clogged with snot. Yuck! So I've been pretty tired because of that.

Friday was 20 weeks and my big ultrasound. We weren't supposed to find out the gender, but once again, I was given a picture that basically reveals the gender if you know what to look for. Brian still doesn't know and I'm busting at the seams trying to keep from telling him. Regardless, I've been sworn to secrecy since we weren't supposed to know. Sorry, I can't tell you! But you can look at the pictures.






I can tell one thing. Apparently I'm growing a pirate baby. Perhaps the Jolly Roger.

Let's see... busy week. Monday actually wasn't bad. Tuesday Maggie had an appointment with a naturopath to see what we could do about her chronic fluid in her ears. She will be seeing the naturopath again next Thursday for dietary recommendations and the chiropractor in the practice next Monday for her initial consultation, as she has a vertebrae out of place in her neck which could be causing the ear issues. Wednesday I had my midwife appointment. Pretty uneventful. I met the 3rd of the 3 midwives and we basically just chatted and listened to the heartbeat. 150s. :) My next appointment is in 4 weeks. Today I had my first playgroup! Well, it was actually a mamas group for mamas in the area who are into Natural/Attachment Parenting and are also depressed. Nice combo, eh? In any case, it was nice to be around women my age with kids, for once in my life - and ones who understand where I'm coming from! I did have to drive 1 hour one way, but it's worth it. I'm going to try my best to stick to going to the meetings once a month. Tomorrow I have a TS party. Saturday we have swim lessons in the morning and my grandmother's birthday party in the evening. Sunday we have my MIL's boyfriend's birthday party in the evening. When will I actually SAH????

BTW, I'm poor now so take pity on me. ;) I've never had to budget for groceries before in my life... never had to plan meals... and you know what? This sucks! Especially when you're trying to eat a *healthy* diet. It's one thing to budget and be okay with eating Ramen. It's another when you try to cut out all artificial flavorings/colorings/preservatives and eat as much organic as possible. Guess I need to get my butt in gear with my business!!!!!

Lady of Leisure

I'm trying not to LOL as I type that.

But I am now officially a SAHM. Friday was my last day of work and today is the first day of work that I no longer had to go to. :) I didn't set my alarm, but Maggie had me up by 7:15AM anyway. Ah, 55 minutes more sleep is better than none!

So much to say, but I'm tired. And since she is napping, I think I will take one as well.

Start Your Engines!

Let the cleaning begin!!!!

Getting our tiny space organized again has been high on my list of wants. But with a total lack of energy, 2 jobs, and a feisty toddler on my hands, it just hasn't been done in a long time. I mean LONG time. So once I decided that I would become a SAHM, one of the things I began to look forward to was getting this place in order again. The only problem is, my cleaning moods are just that - moods. If I'm not in the mood to do it, it doesn't get done. And because I'm a bit of a perfectionist, if I know I don't have the time to get it all done and just the way I want it, I won't even start. Bad, I know.

Tonight, in spite of feeling rather lazy, I started tackling the kitchen. It could be the fact that I had to go upstairs to tell them that their shower was leaking into our apartment and she mentioned calling the landlord. Maybe I'm afraid he'll want to come in our apartment, see what a mess it is and ask us to leave. We're on a month to month basis and this worry is always at the back of my mind. Or maybe it's just that I'm finally ready to get some of it done. Or maybe it's that ole' "give it a try and you may like it" thing. You know, like how they tell bored wives who don't feel like doing the nasty with their dear hubbies anymore that if you give in every once in a while, you may start to like it and join in.

In any case, I started tackling the mound of crap on the kitchen table and before I knew it, the computer desk was organized as well. Granted, it's not perfect. I don't have enough room to put everything away and one of my big projects once I'm home is to do a major purging of the "stuff" which we have accumulated but really don't need. Regardless, I do feel much better about it... and a bit energized to keep going at it. But only a bit. ;)

Catching Up

It appears I've fallen behind, once again, in my blogging duties.

My illness that I last left you in suspense about culminated in several hours of vomiting and diarrhea overnight. What fun! Seriously, it was the pits. I was sure I'd end up at the hospital for dehydration.

In spite of my night-time "fun", I had my tour of the freestanding birthing center later that day - something I had planned for that day specifically since Brian would be home from work. So I did my best to make myself presentable, upped the fluids (though avoided the food still due to lingering nausea) and we drove on down to the birthing center. I LOVED it! Brian - well, he didn't have an opinion on the matter. So I took the reigns and decided for him. We will now be having Sprout at a birthing center that is about as far away as the hospital where we had Maggie - and I'm planning on a waterbirth!!!! Something I wanted so badly with Maggie! So far, I've met 2 of the 3 midwives and I love them. I know this is the right decision!

Friday, January 5th, will be a momentous day for me! It's my Trifecta: 20 weeks, my mid-way ultrasound (though we are not finding out the gender, so too bad, so sad! ;) ), and my last day of work. At first, I was a little mixed on that. Especially as I got closer to the event. I've always had a steady paycheck - I'm terrified of not, even though I still need to bring in some income! But days like today confirm my decision to leave. 8 years there, soon to be over. Wow.