Contemporary Earth Mama

carrying the light

Around this time of year, Sunny comes home from school with a lantern she has made.  And she comes home with songs...beautiful songs of the season.  She sings them as she works, she sings them as she plays and soon I am singing them, too.

I sing them at night, in the rocker, for naps, in the car, on walks, while folding laundry, and did I ever think of myself as a confident singer?  No.  Am I confident now?  No, but I am certainly more comfortable with my (out of tune) pitch that ever before, because we sing.  Because in Waldorf they sing, and they sing throughout the tasks of the day.  I remember when we first started the mom/child program at Spring Hill nearly five years ago, I would catch myself watching the wonder of these children as the teachers lead the day ( or hour, rather) through song and gesture.  And the more we came, the more we embraced it and the more we embraced it, the sooner we lived it and now that we live it...well, I can't imagine any other way.  It is so right for us.

In the interest of sharing some of these songs, which right now are of carrying our light through the season of darkness and early sunsets, I encourage you to listen to a Storytelling of Crows as Farida and her daughter lead us through a couple of lantern songs.  You will love sharing these with your wee ones.

holidays, already?

Though we had mostly an indoor week due to the flu around here...we did get out for small snippets here and there.  Fresh air is good for everybody.

We had our friend, Karen, over to help us get things spiced up for the holidays.***Note***I am usually not this organized...it's not even Thanksgiving yet ( but the tree has to go in that weekend, so we'll check things off one at a time).  Now we've got the spruce tips, so bring on the snow!

...first we had to haul the former summer-water-play-tubs to "Mud Hill" ( yes, we have a spot just for digging in our yard..is that not normal?) to be filled with soil.

...this should say, WE BRAKE FOR LEAF PILES

...and WE'LL STOP ANYTHING TO RIDE WITH DAD IN THE DODGE

...and I see, I have no photos of the finished product, probably because I went in to work on this:

Yes, more soup.
 
 
 
 

kale & kefir? You betcha

Even in the cold months, we love smoothies around here.  I prefer the consistency of a smoothie with kefir over yogurt, but that's just me.  It's milky without being milky, yet it's not as thick as with yogurt.  Of course I prefer to make my own kefir versus buying it unless I'm in a pinch.  There is a fair amount of sugar in the flavored kefirs.

This is the smoothie we had with our lunch today.

Strawberry-Banana-Kale

2 cups kefir

3/4 cup frozen strawberries ( froze the day after picking this summer, YUM!)

3 leaves of kale with the rib torn out, slightly tear them and throw it right in. (yes, I still have kale in my garden..the rest of the garden has been tucked in.)

1 banana

1/2 cup orange juice

Blend.  Super simp.  Give 'er a try, you'll be surprised that even the kiddos will drink this.

a little fun

Who doesn't need a little more fun in their day?  We can all use to spice up the mundane just a bit, right? 

Remember this mouse?  I had no idea what his destiny was to be except for some fall fun on the home front.  Turns out this mouse moves...at night.  He travels around the house, finding nooks and crannies to hide in and on.  Not only does this inspire wonder and awe in the girls, but it brings out the playful spirit in us all.  I am always surprised myself to find our mouse in a new spot, knowing I myself haven't moved it.  Sometimes our sitter moves it, and it has us all wondering.  Recently, Sunny moved it. The weekend before the flu, I heard her moving the stool around the kitchen around 6 a.m.  The cupboard door opened, I assumed she was getting a glass for water.  Fast forward to breakfast as she insisted on being the one to fetch the butter from the cupboard for our oatmeal.  I should say she loudly insisted, and upon my approval, let out this huge HUH! when she opened the door to find the mouse peering at us from atop a pile of plates.  So funny to watch her eyes watch mine to see if I -knew- she- knew -I -knew-she was the one who moved it.  Imagine the wonder throughout that day as she questioned Jessie ( our sitter) and daddy, and even Fannie, if they had moved the mouse.

So here is a photo montage of this mouse and his travels:  ( and a big Just Do This At Your House Push From Me...It's Too Fun!)

 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Giveaway Monday winner

The winner of Practically Green:  Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making by Micaela Preston ( local MN author) is:

Michelle H.---thanks for playing!

getting by on fresh air and felt

Today, being Day 6 of what I believe is the swine flu for Sunny, was a good one in that she really turned the corner.  She woke after a fourteen hour sleep to good spirits, a hungry belly, and energy to play on the floor with her sister to boot. BUT, that doesn't come without the emotional overwhelm and exhaustion of the previous five days, either.

Did I mention Fannie is teething, too?  Good times.  We're (me) all a little punchy crabby over here. I hung on until today when I fell a wee bit over the Insanity Cliff.  Been a bit cooped up, a bit undershowered ( usually an overrated activity in my world, but 4 days is pushin' it), a whole lot underslept ( this can't be a word), and really in need of a Calgon-take-me-away-moment.  Chad's text at 4:15 of the simple "I love you"  was all I needed to get me through until dinner ( yes, another night of homemade chicken soup...you're eatin' it until you're well, kiddo) which he took over as I ran for the shower.

Oh, the shower...I scrubbed every inch of my body with the wooden handled scrubby thing, I took the pumice stone to my feet, I scrubbed my face, I scratched my scalp...all in the effort of waking up in that hot, hot water.  I think I'm a little tired today.

Today was a day that had me stepping periodically outside and onto the deck to just breath.  To take just one breath of fresh air.  Alone.  By myself.  A breath of fresh air to remind me that I am Human, that I am a Good Mother, and that I am Just Tired.  After the third or fourth time, Sunny inquired as to what I was doing outside. 

 "Breathing", I told her. 

"Why?", she asked. 

 "Because today I am tired", I reply.

"Are you tired because Fannie is giving you a hard time?"

"Maybe"

"Are you tired because I'm not well?"

"Maybe"

"You're tired because I am not well."

"I am tired because you are not well and Fannie's having a hard time."

Enter in tears from the overtired and not well child who now thinks she made me tired.

"I am tired because it is hard to take care of people who are not well and because it is hard to care for children who are teething, but I wouldn't want anyone else to do it...so I'm tired."

"okay, mama, can we felt now?"

"Um-hm, we can felt now."

That all in three seconds, is why I needed to breathe, in and out, throughout the day.

So I would breathe and we would felt and I would breathe and we would felt together.  We would circle back together by warm, sudsy water, by natural woolen felt, to finish what we started, and to bring calm back to the day.  And everything is then again, alright.

Giveaway Monday

For this first Giveaway Monday, we have a newly published book by local Minnesota author, Micaela Preston, entitled, Practically Green-Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making. 

Micaela, the author behind the Mindful Momma blog, has graciously offered to giveaway a copy to one Contemporary Earth Mama reader.  Don't we all need more helpful tips on how to be more ecofriendly?

Here are the rules:

-leave a comment ( one per person)

-comments close Wednesday 11th at noon (central time)

-winner will be drawn via the random number generator and announced on Wednesday night's blog entry

Get ready, get set, go!

 

where we are

We are day 5 into what looks like the swine flu, and Sunny is our dear little sick one.  After returning home from school Thursday afternoon with a quick onset that had her head on the table for lunch, she was bedridden until Saturday.

Fever, chills, body aches, foot cramps, delirium, hallucinations, and coughing next to mama was the experience of the first 48 hours.  Fever broke and the cough moved in, first productive and spasmodic, then dry and spasmodic.  Lethargic, no appetite, little interest in doing much but laying in bed, is the new gig over here.

Yesterday we went out for a bit to get some fresh air, just hanging around the yard to soak up some vitamin D.  That proved to be a good thing for everyone's spirits, then back inside for biscuits, chicken soup and tea for all.

We're managing well with remedies from our homeopath, and it's been an interesting cycle to watch as we've never required multiple remedies to get through an illness before.  That being said, this child has never had a fever for more than twelve hours at a time, nor higher than 100, so she is truly more sick than she's ever been.  What a trooper and a good little patient she has been...drinking tea or broth when it's brought to her, sipping water all day.  Taking rice packs ( microwaves are a good thing in this case) to her chest when told, laying still for bodywork when mama deems necessary, and excitedly taking her remedies on time.

We've read Old Mother West Wind from front to back, finger knitted, made felted garlands, drawn pictures, listened to Story Nory, slept ( mostly during the day, these nights are rough!), and on Sunday I broke out the mini DVD player for Charlotte's Web.  Today, selfishly, so I can find a way to get some work done, I called Nana for Provisions in the form of Mary Poppins and the Secret of Roan Inish.  We'll be hanging low for a few more days until she has her strength back, and another day at home after that, before heading back to school.

So, how have you been handling these times in your homes?

WAPF conference, here I come!

Next weekend at this time I will be in the middle of the Weston A Price Foundation Conference.  I will have:

• consumed a fair amount of delicious and nutritious traditional foods
• met a ton of cool and interesting people who do cool and interesting things
• gained exposure (My Healthy Beginning) to the Chicago area
• likely caught up with an old friend
• gotten to know our newest writer much better
• had a great room to stay in thanks for the hook up via ChiroCarrie
• had so many awesome content ideas floating through my head for a foodie issue that I'll likely have to rearrange issue topics for 2010

In honor of traditional foods, I would like to thank my good friend Taiha Wagner, of Just One Bite, for hosting a gathering in her home today.  She introduced twenty families to the wonders of traditional foods with these yummy recipes:

 

Coconut flour brownies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Organic Coconut oil (I’ve also used organic butter, it just depends on which taste you like better)
1 cup Organic unsweetened cocoa powder
1 dozen Organic free-range eggs
2/3 cup Raw honey
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Organic vanilla
1 cup Coconut flour
2 cups Chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

In a saucepan at low heat, blend together coconut oil (or butter) and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, mix together eggs, honey, salt and vanilla. Whisk coconut flour into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into a well buttered 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Adjust baking time as needed, you want the edges to be soft and chewy too.

 

Cafe Lurcat Burgers with Red Wine Shallot Butter - Trad Food Redux

2 lb Ground Grassfed Beef (I used Anderson Farm)
1/2 lb butter (I used Organic Valley Pasture Butter)
2 tbsp bacon grease
1 large yellow organic onion, minced
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh organic thyme
1 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1 organic egg
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt - might need to add more
Fresh chopped parsely

Red Wine Shallot Butter (a make ahead item)
1/2 cup organic shallots - minced
1 tbsp organic sugar
4 cups red wine (used merlot)
1/2 lb butter (Organic Valley)

Burgers:
Using half the butter, sweat the onions until translucent. Remove the onions from the heat and cool to room temp. Add the thyme, pepper, egg, and salt to the onions. Whip the remaining half of the butter and the bacon grease until smooth and add the onion mixture and ground beef. Lightly mix just until combined (note: You can easily overmix ground beef - handle it gently and don't "overpack" your burgers or they will become dense and tough). Form patties and chill for at least an hour. Fry burgers to desired until rare - medium rare. Top with red wine shallot butter and parsley after you flip. Serve on a toasted bun.

Butter:
Combine shallots, sugar and wine in a saucepan. Simmer until reduced and thick so it's almost dry (this step takes about an hour). Cool to room temp and mix with whipped butter until incorporated throughout. Using plastic wrap, roll into cylinders and chill until firm. Slice butter and use to top burgers.

 

Kefir

 

Supplies
2 glass bowls with lid that holds about 4 cups each
Mason jars – 1 quart size
Plastic strainer
Plastic spoon

Step 1
Pour 3-4 cups of milk into bowl – Raw milk is best but you can use organic milk as well. Whole milk is best; skim milk does not have enough nutrients to feed the kefir grains.

Step 2
Add kefir grains and cover

Step 3
Leave out on counter top for 24 hours – if it’s summer and hot, the number of hours could be reduced depending on taste.

Step 4
Take second glass bowl and place plastic strainer inside. Pour kefir into strainer and strain out kefir grains.

Step 5
Pour kefir into Mason jar and let sit out on the counter for an additional 24 hours depending on how thick you like your kefir. After this second 24 hour period, you may keep your kefir in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Step 6
Wash the bowl you strained kefir into and pour a fresh batch of milk into it. Place grains into milk and repeat the process.

Travel
You can place your grains in a jar full of milk and place in the refrigerator for up to one week if traveling. Take care of them ASAP upon your return.

Sick grains
If your grains, or your kefir, turn pink it means they are sick or malnourished. This happens most frequently when they have been neglected. Nurse them back to health by placing them in fresh milk every 6-12 hours. You need to discard pink kefir. If you cannot nurse them back to health, throw them away.

 

1 cup chunky peanut butter
½ cup honey
½ cup raisins or chocolate chips
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon
4 cups Rolled Oats

Combine all ingredients is a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Press into a 9x13 pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Bars must be kept in the fridge in order to stay intact. Serve with vanilla ice cream and you’ll be in heaven!

 

Don't forget to stop on over at Just One Bite to see what Taiha is up to there...

 

couple things...

See the My Healthy Beginning listing on Sprout:  MN, a great green community promoting green businesses in the Twin Cities.  So many great finds on that site!

FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: available to anyone who logs on and writes a review of My Healthy Beginning and then emails (nhirsch@myhealthybeginning.com) me to give me a heads up!

And a heads up for Monday.  Contemporary Earth Mama is going to brighten your week by offering Giveaway Mondays.  We will have great products to give away on Mondays beginning in just a few days.  You will have to leave a comment to enter in the contest...don't be shy!

If you have a product you'd like for us to give away, leave me a comment or send an email to the address above.