tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72038036777483360802024-02-19T00:32:03.487-06:00Bread with HoneyBreadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-90494671327441328512019-10-30T16:49:00.000-05:002019-10-30T16:49:08.622-05:00Dear Bishop Kemmme<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<i>“It is better that scandals arise than the truth be suppressed.”</i></div>
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<i><b>~</b>Gregory the Great, Homilies on Ezekiel</i><br /><b><br /></b><b>Dear faithful Catholics of The Diocese of Wichita, KS,</b><br /><b><br />The list of priests recently released by Bishop Kemme is nothing but a smoke screen. The priests named are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, guilty. They are, as the Bishop points out, dead or retired. What this means is that there are priests in active ministry within the Diocese of Wichita who have 'secret files.' The priests with secret files may have failed psychological evaluations. They may have a dozen complaints against them which were not accompanied by compelling evidence. If your pastor has a secret file, you will not know until a victim with hard evidence comes forward. In the meantime, your children are exposed to predators. </b></div>
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<b>Your Bishop cares far more about protecting the reputation of his Diocese and his priests than he does about protecting your children. </b></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Read what follows before you sign your kids up for Catholic schools or Totus Tuus summer programs in 2020.</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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August 9, 2017</div>
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To Whom It May Concern:</div>
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I am writing regarding a complaint of abuse I made against a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, and the manner in which this complaint was handled. </div>
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In 1998 I caused myself to miscarry a pregnancy, and was raped by the father of the child while I was recovering from the self-induced abortion. I sought the counsel and aid of a priest (Rev. XXX) of the Diocese of Wichita, who was also my philosophy teacher at the high school I attended (XXX, Wichita, KS). The priest insisted that I break off ties with the young man immediately, but did not encourage me to share this information with anyone except himself. He insisted that I had not been raped, or even date raped. He insisted that I was at fault for having been a willing partner on plenty of occasions, and therefore I had no right to call one unwilling occasion a rape. He didn’t want me to consider reporting this to anyone.</div>
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Over the course of 18 months, this priest created in me an extreme emotional dependency upon himself. After several months of meeting me in secret, the priest attended a Project Rachel retreat as a chaplain. When he returned from the retreat, he told me that he had gone on the retreat to experience his own healing. He felt that he was the father of my child, and that he was my father. He felt that he was truly my father, not just my spiritual father. He had experienced the retreat as a parent, and told me of a vision of my child he had received. He told me he had named the child. He regularly talked to me about this, and about his relationship with this child.</div>
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From the very first time I spoke with him in the confessional, he insisted on sitting in such a way that our bodies were touching, and he often touched me with his hands, or held my hands against his face while we talked. He kissed me passionately on at least 2 occasions. He was verbally and psychologically abusive, especially on the occasions when I indicated a desire to discuss these matters with anyone other than himself.</div>
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This verbal abuse increased when I began dating another young man at the beginning of XXX. I used this new relationship to wean myself away from this priest, and stopped meeting him completely by April of that year. I graduated in May of XXX and left for college in July. I attempted to commit suicide in September of XXX, but without any conscious connection to the abuse I had recently escaped.</div>
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In January of XXX, I began to have flashbacks to this period of time while attending a Virtus safe environment training in the Diocese of Wichita. As a result, I felt compelled to share information with my pastor, who then helped me begin an official complaint with the Diocese of Wichita. </div>
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The Bishop of Wichita at that time was Michael Jackels, and the Vicar General of the Diocese was Msgr. Robert Hemberger. Despite the support of an entire committee of lay people, the diocesan victims assistance coordinator, and the diocese’ recommended psychologist, my complaint was not considered by the Bishop and the Vicar General to be credible. The priest was never put on administrative leave. He was not investigated or asked to submit to any form of psychological evaluation. </div>
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The Vicar General shared with me that the priest had other less serious accusations against him, most of them from the following school year. He shared with me that this priest had failed a psychological evaluation shortly after the timeframe of my complaint, which resulted in his being pulled from his teaching post and sent to a country parish. He maintained that all this was only circumstantial evidence, that my story was just a story, that the burden of proof was all on me, and that he and the Bishop both suspected me of having an ulterior motive in making a formal complaint against this priest. I asked him to tell me what ulterior motive I might have, but he refused to do so. He also told me that if I chose to share any information with the press, that information about me could be leaked as well, and that he would not hesitate to destroy my reputation in the community. </div>
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Despite the insistence on the part of the Vicar General and the Bishop that my complaint was not credible, the priest in question was forced to resign immediately from his role as Director of Totus Tuus- the now national youth catechetical program he himself had founded in 1987. He was reassigned to an even smaller parish in a more rural area of the Diocese. I objected verbally to the Vicar General that if my complaint was credible, it should be treated as credible, and if it was not, then any disciplinary action on the part of the Bishop was inappropriate. This objection was never addressed by the Vicar General or the Bishop. </div>
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The entire process was closed within 6 weeks of the initial complaint. After the case had been closed, I submitted a statement recounting the events of XXX-XXX as best as I could recall them. That statement is supposedly included in the file kept by the Diocese of Wichita regarding this complaint. I freely admit that details here relayed may not agree with the details of that statement in some ways. That original statement was written under great stress, in haste, before I had fully processed or even fully remembered all of the events that had transpired those XXX years ago. </div>
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It continues to disturb me that the priest in question, Rev. XXX, was not objectively assessed, in any way, by any means, as a result of my complaint. It continues to disturb me that the lay people in the Diocese of Wichita had a belief that these complaints would be handled according to established and published policy, and yet that policy was ignored. It continues to disturb me that this priest has remained in good standing with the Diocese of Wichita, and that he has had uninterrupted access to young people in the community. I am making another attempt to bring my concerns to light out of a concern for the young people of the Diocese of Wichita. </div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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XXX</div>
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(Jane Nihil) </div>
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January 4, 2018</div>
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Bishop Carl A. Kemme</div>
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424 N. Broadway</div>
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Wichita, KS 67202</div>
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Dear Bishop Kemme,</div>
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First, I’d like to apologize for canceling our appointment of November 7. I very much wanted to speak with you, but I needed some time to think through what, precisely, I wanted to communicate.</div>
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Hopefully you can understand, at least a little, what happened to me twenty years ago. I was a young girl, isolated from my family, and I made a string of bad decisions. I chose to go to a priest for help, to discuss things, because I was weighed down with shame. I asked for counsel under the Seal of the Confessional because I was mortified at the thought of anyone finding out about the things I had done. I wanted my secrets kept. But the priest I chose took advantage of my isolation and my desire for secrecy. When I told him I had been raped, he discouraged me from reporting this, because he said it was my fault. He fantasized himself the father of my lost child. He touched me and kissed me in the Confessional, as well as in his classroom where we frequently met alone. I won’t rehash all the details, Bishop, since you have them already. </div>
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I would like you to know that I was told parts of the contents of Fr. XXX’s personnel file. I was told that after I graduated from XXX High School in XXX, enough complaints were made against him, about his words and actions in and out of the classroom that he was pulled from his teaching post. I was told he was sent for a psych eval as a result of these complaints. I was told the results of this evaluation included psychosexual immaturity. I was told this caused him to be moved from XXX to XXX parish in XXX. I was told he was allowed to remain director of Totus Tuus youth program despite the seriousness of these results.</div>
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I’ve been told “everything” has been handled as it ought to be. Nevertheless, I cannot rest my conscience knowing someone else could be hurt in the future. I cannot rest my conscience wondering if there are people, even one person, suffering in silence with wounds so deep that they feel inescapable and unhealable. If there is even one person who might be inspired to seek help and healing, to share their story, I cannot rest my conscience. There might be a person who has lived bound by shame and fear and a conviction that his or her story is worthless because he or she has no “proof.” And if there is more than one, maybe there are four. And if there are four, maybe there are a dozen. And how many sad stories of abuse committed behind closed doors will it take before that body of information cannot be ignored?</div>
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Nine years ago I questioned Msgr. XXX, then Vicar General of the Diocese of Wichita, why my complaint against Fr. XXX resulted in his being moved from XXX to a smaller, more rural parish (St. XXX in XXX). I asked the Vicar General why he was forced to retire from Totus Tuus. Why, I asked, if my complaint wasn’t creditable, were these particular responses made? Why was Fr. XXX never placed on administrative leave when the entire community has, and had, the expectation that such a leave was the very first thing that would happen when a complaint is made? Even if no civil or canon laws were broken, the way my complaint was handled in 2009 was and is still a violation of the trust which members of this community have in their Church leaders- their bishops, priests, and laymen and women.</div>
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Strictly speaking, morally speaking, I have fulfilled my obligation. I have given the information I have to the people responsible for doing something with said information… the people responsible for the safety of the members of the Body of Christ… to you, the Shepherd of the souls of the diocese where this priest ministers. </div>
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These are the questions I feel I must ask.</div>
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Respectfully,</div>
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XXX <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jane Nihil</div>
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Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-57356856734074680682015-05-07T23:44:00.000-05:002015-05-07T23:53:10.016-05:00Tutorial: UPCYCLED WOOL DIAPER COVER This post is for the moms over at DS who asked for it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQr184OYhM-7RfifYF0vliUZhZa7Hdwq6_D6OAFSkGVTLetusFCWfnoKneVSQydaaztxD_tSWaMBzFMhTujC5T_XzXWfPP2p6lNsyVf0eplYEg9uq9amayOO_Y14UoOeDekdM1-A_4y3c/s1600/diaper+tutorial+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQr184OYhM-7RfifYF0vliUZhZa7Hdwq6_D6OAFSkGVTLetusFCWfnoKneVSQydaaztxD_tSWaMBzFMhTujC5T_XzXWfPP2p6lNsyVf0eplYEg9uq9amayOO_Y14UoOeDekdM1-A_4y3c/s400/diaper+tutorial+039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
These soakers take all of 15 minutes to cut and sew if you are an experienced seamstress. Or tailor. Whatever. And while knit wool soakers are really cute, hours and hours versus 15 minutes... laziness wins for me! Also, I use preshrunk sweaters for these, so if dh accidentally tosses them in the washing machine, all is not lost.<br />
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In this post I am going to share the secrets I've learned for sewing these covers SUPER FAST, with the fewest tears, and broken needles. </div>
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There is a great free pattern on the web (google Katrina Soaker pattern), but the above soakers are made from the Sweet Baby pattern by Wired Up Designs on hyenacart.com. I'm not affiliated with Wired Up in any way, but I've tried at least two dozen free and bought patterns for wool diaper covers, and this is the only one I use anymore.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFqtGqgPi_PkxQdwostQvWfm0kD2NPKXI0S8oYNuUgCcfS-jHod9cG3072JVpmeA8Km9EIeNRSUPTMqPqUHRIFsYxHIzeVM5T59NequhyY3rtdPI7URE9uYpzD7d9hFuPxK6fJWHGZgc/s1600/diaper+tutorial+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFqtGqgPi_PkxQdwostQvWfm0kD2NPKXI0S8oYNuUgCcfS-jHod9cG3072JVpmeA8Km9EIeNRSUPTMqPqUHRIFsYxHIzeVM5T59NequhyY3rtdPI7URE9uYpzD7d9hFuPxK6fJWHGZgc/s400/diaper+tutorial+041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, you'll need a wool sweater, a pattern, and a sewing machine:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvy58Xry4PUdyy_WjkWzHm9jxdyiJwqwuVwnJ870vatOjEV_ZOPUvi1uvER-2FMKVbsI3kfVXkp3mRMw397DpTcP5S1ubnhGna5tZ0T95JmbxN1BHuc2c7eR5DigkuCKm2lFy8M-lmCY/s1600/diaper+tutorial+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvy58Xry4PUdyy_WjkWzHm9jxdyiJwqwuVwnJ870vatOjEV_ZOPUvi1uvER-2FMKVbsI3kfVXkp3mRMw397DpTcP5S1ubnhGna5tZ0T95JmbxN1BHuc2c7eR5DigkuCKm2lFy8M-lmCY/s400/diaper+tutorial+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Secret #1: Only use REALLY GOOD wool for these. Most thrift stores charge the same for junky wool sweaters and name brand wool. I am using a 100% Italian Merino cardigan for the first soaker here. It is super-soft and pre-shrunk by somebody. I machine washed and dried it prior to cutting to be sure it wasn't going to shrink any more. It is still VERY thin, though fully felted, as many fine merino sweaters will be!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IID2JehmCzcjX2LIKIvLkd4HckWtycmKruRDbTSu0B7Rwz6D9Tg0Xm5RHqzRvkWHANp6LomEbVUU0atD45F5uXSxqSOtdwVpPKwGacHNmJDX8pdtPTNZWd4uICnJ1RasQXqmfX2TE6I/s1600/diaper+tutorial+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IID2JehmCzcjX2LIKIvLkd4HckWtycmKruRDbTSu0B7Rwz6D9Tg0Xm5RHqzRvkWHANp6LomEbVUU0atD45F5uXSxqSOtdwVpPKwGacHNmJDX8pdtPTNZWd4uICnJ1RasQXqmfX2TE6I/s400/diaper+tutorial+025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Secret #1.5: Be sure to SNIFF the sweater really well before you buy it. If it smells very perfume-y or you get even a hint of mothballs- pass. I don't care if it's Niemen Marcus. You won't get that smell out.</div>
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Cut out your pieces. I consider 2 full body pieces a must. You can use 1 layer if your sweater is super-thick, and you can stitch a second layer only in the wet zone, but for a beginner, just go for 2 layers of a thin or medium-thickness sweater. The cover will be bullet-proof and the finished product will look more polished than a wonky double-wetzone.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bICtu7Fv71mS-8_6z1pPii0rWwwqa223KEbFAkOjWXKAbpFIzBIwnFjnbek3QSRiI7NR3svfh482Rol2jDxE19n1nADQeJWCVnHk4dBfAL2ntzOMdXOv4OGYex4-RIKrtOp8yqH2qbs/s1600/diaper+tutorial+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bICtu7Fv71mS-8_6z1pPii0rWwwqa223KEbFAkOjWXKAbpFIzBIwnFjnbek3QSRiI7NR3svfh482Rol2jDxE19n1nADQeJWCVnHk4dBfAL2ntzOMdXOv4OGYex4-RIKrtOp8yqH2qbs/s400/diaper+tutorial+026.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 body layers, 1 waistband, 2 leg cuffs.</td></tr>
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(Now, you CAN cut a waistband and leg cuffs from the body of your sweater. If you do that, follow the pattern. You will cut a double tall waist band and leg cuffs, fold in half, and stitch the long edges to keep everything from shifting while sewing to the main soaker piece.)</div>
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BUT-</div>
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Secret #2: If your sweater has a nice, ribbed waistband, as most sweaters do, <strong>use that for both the waistband and the leg cuffs. </strong> See how stretchy it is?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuIuRgRY2YJgN0hHqFkVVHSKQ4n3XLRAnuElAev9r-zWRotZp6KkzF_nWTTXGmhobIgzRCXVTFTtLY9jWzJdDpCcNo3DtE5F9WDpUI_AphPWoAZCnJbfP1mZ-qlQ3llQ4OTvvtUHoPBA/s1600/diaper+tutorial+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuIuRgRY2YJgN0hHqFkVVHSKQ4n3XLRAnuElAev9r-zWRotZp6KkzF_nWTTXGmhobIgzRCXVTFTtLY9jWzJdDpCcNo3DtE5F9WDpUI_AphPWoAZCnJbfP1mZ-qlQ3llQ4OTvvtUHoPBA/s320/diaper+tutorial+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Plus, a 1-layer cuff or waist is easier to sew on to the body of the soaker. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Just don't discard the excess ribbing. It is very useful for other upcycled projects. You may find another sweater that doesn't have ribbing.)</span></div>
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Secret #3: Because your ribbing is so stretchy, cut it SHORTER than the pattern calls for, otherwise your waist and leg holes may gap. Like so:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeaXOuGzcTa5HeDppKT-9vkdJ6WVJjlEz_Y6ARYV3C5RY89TV-ojFnow_4tsV13D-EfOFSB2FysMfK7FfmCS9U2AnxwN7uIwKevwfy14SO2eCQ5fkToUJ2MVloM-khU3uQhJa2deEy4M/s1600/diaper+tutorial+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeaXOuGzcTa5HeDppKT-9vkdJ6WVJjlEz_Y6ARYV3C5RY89TV-ojFnow_4tsV13D-EfOFSB2FysMfK7FfmCS9U2AnxwN7uIwKevwfy14SO2eCQ5fkToUJ2MVloM-khU3uQhJa2deEy4M/s400/diaper+tutorial+023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That pattern piece says "Sweetie Bums," but it is actually the Sweet Baby pattern. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="height: 374px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 653px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpqYvsmQ3ktMJ1MavZ9LEdj8YD7VF_fsV85dm2Eic6-7P6dLRdGsqIT8kIt73UrfCiBxDj_Fa8Toj3Sm0U9uSaVN4wmo_8XTlQa6d3rraDzeHrM-cf91zA39ZtJhyphenhyphenNyOhMqDM96mPJEI/s1600/diaper+tutorial+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpqYvsmQ3ktMJ1MavZ9LEdj8YD7VF_fsV85dm2Eic6-7P6dLRdGsqIT8kIt73UrfCiBxDj_Fa8Toj3Sm0U9uSaVN4wmo_8XTlQa6d3rraDzeHrM-cf91zA39ZtJhyphenhyphenNyOhMqDM96mPJEI/s400/diaper+tutorial+024.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These leg cuffs actually came from the neck band of my sweater because the waistband was too short. Do NOT attempt this unless you are pretty experienced with sewing stretch fabrics. The stretch is diagonal on these pieces here, and it makes it sorta tricky. If you are a beginner, just use a sweater with a long/ big enough waistband for both the waist and legs of your soaker!<br />
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The reason I like the angled leg cuffs is that the leg opening are larger, but the cuffs pull in nice and snug, and this gives the soaker an overall trimmer fit than most pull-on soakers in this style.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If your baby is already here, the only reason NOT to cut your waist and leg cuffs shorter is if your baby is incredibly chubby, and you can't find a diaper cover that doesn't squish her thigh and tummy rolls. In which case, use your stretchy ribbing and cut the proper size!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">***Now, if you are a beginner, you may want to sew both your main soaker pieces together so they don't shift while sewing on the legs and waist. I don't ever do this because I am lazy. Make sure both pieces are right side out, and stitch all the way around the outside edges of the pieces with a long straight stitch, gently (GENTLY) stretching the fabric as you sew. This is generally what you do when sewing knits. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">After this, pull your soaker pieces on the edges to make sure your stitching is not too tight. It shouldn't decrease the stretchiness of the fabric. If you pull the edges, and find your stitching is stopping you from pulling, and if you stretch the fabric any further, you break the stitching... STOP. You need a longer stitch, OR you need to stretch the fabric more as you sew, OR your machine tension is too tight. Do the first 2, and if things don't improve, you might need to take your machine where you bought it and ask them to show you how to loosen the tension just a bit. I wouldn't rely on your manual or google for this. It is tricky.*** <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Now, if you really want to get this done, and your sweater only cost $1, and your baby is due to wake up in 20 minutes, just sew the whole thing with a medium zigzag stitch. It will sidestep your machine's tension issue, but the seams will wear out sooner. That's why a cheap thrifted sweater is so nice. No need for perfectionism!!!)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Sorry I have no pictures of the above, but like I said, I am too lazy to sew my main pieces together into 1 piece. It does make the next steps easier, though.</span><br />
<br />
(The rest of the steps use a 1/4" seam allowance. Don't forget to secure your seams by backstitching at the beginning and end of each seam!)<br />
<br />
Most, or all, soaker patterns will instruct you to sew the side seams of your main soaker (BUT DON'T), then sew the side seam of the leg cuffs, (BUT DON'T), and then "set-in" the cuff into the leg opening like you would a sleeve in an arm hole. Lazy sewers will go to great lengths to avoid set-in sleeves because they are tricky and unpleasant. <br />
<br />
Here's what we'll do instead, which is Secret #4: Lay your main soaker pieces face up on your work surface and then pin your leg cuff along the leg opening, right sides together. Sew like so:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrVC5UoU5Q5-X6Z9nAIrTS5AXBiWhOkOHz2IvCjp2VskBjgBypwq1CWOR6RJEvRzc9ZNdiGvtVDCJ6Ph5_Ctn2CTdyPErThDGNoUa8i9MvnlV09rFyxp0xgriOw7u-Pk1x0xRVoqpuBY/s1600/diaper+tutorial+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrVC5UoU5Q5-X6Z9nAIrTS5AXBiWhOkOHz2IvCjp2VskBjgBypwq1CWOR6RJEvRzc9ZNdiGvtVDCJ6Ph5_Ctn2CTdyPErThDGNoUa8i9MvnlV09rFyxp0xgriOw7u-Pk1x0xRVoqpuBY/s400/diaper+tutorial+027.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad pic... but the three layers are going through the machine here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Don't forget to stretch your cuff to match the leg opening if you cut it short. </div>
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And here's what it looks like from the right side:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVqJLKCjyyREHqZHe31LaInfE9efQJTMf0ZgR7w-BdGJ9QSLS3JQBLhO4t-CMnv-cz3A_laYsjgAWbwSVG9ynnQV-jUDp-gcghrBrtgUCTpIbFX67Yh-tCXfVxSbJX8_kV46r4HBILgk/s1600/diaper+tutorial+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVqJLKCjyyREHqZHe31LaInfE9efQJTMf0ZgR7w-BdGJ9QSLS3JQBLhO4t-CMnv-cz3A_laYsjgAWbwSVG9ynnQV-jUDp-gcghrBrtgUCTpIbFX67Yh-tCXfVxSbJX8_kV46r4HBILgk/s400/diaper+tutorial+028.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Add the other cuff just the same way:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6KIFpDHKM89VSk02I5o7pZFgpdhk0VKgggSrVLDyXW88wTbQ-8wC_wwOJHW9uaqVslNcx3J7ZZqHSgKqNs7Sg6YPRBIrQcmSJdjpXCryPPYhcOhbTziLPPn41GrrNbSGKatPspZb9q8/s1600/diaper+tutorial+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6KIFpDHKM89VSk02I5o7pZFgpdhk0VKgggSrVLDyXW88wTbQ-8wC_wwOJHW9uaqVslNcx3J7ZZqHSgKqNs7Sg6YPRBIrQcmSJdjpXCryPPYhcOhbTziLPPn41GrrNbSGKatPspZb9q8/s400/diaper+tutorial+029.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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NOW sew <strong>ONE </strong>side seam, which includes the leg cuff and main soaker:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNygYpzpWxhunPaxdRDPDBJ0ZVRlPr8355bQ5xFMB8TRXYuZkYWNwtU0gDEhLCCD4lnrW9lbbTd4AnjUQ0h6ZxC784FrZB5Gqo0wTIgaecTE-Qw6Tlk-LPzhfZRZU088reisQuleFOZjI/s1600/diaper+tutorial+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNygYpzpWxhunPaxdRDPDBJ0ZVRlPr8355bQ5xFMB8TRXYuZkYWNwtU0gDEhLCCD4lnrW9lbbTd4AnjUQ0h6ZxC784FrZB5Gqo0wTIgaecTE-Qw6Tlk-LPzhfZRZU088reisQuleFOZjI/s400/diaper+tutorial+030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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AND NOW STOP!!! DO NOT SEW THE OTHER SIDE SEAM!!!</div>
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Instead, take your waist band, and pin it right sides together with your soaker. Sew, remembering to stretch it to fit if you cut it shorter than the pattern:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFk3iicYv-s0LbwOERXiHB1Uaoj3j13rABCB6F7Osh0Vb0YBcELsScG2bTuziPEXSjRvO-Iyv_3dtG5NKiGtNctqpnJZzCoPR5G0PzPYBzqGxBZYDx3z2DpAnXHSjhkglVzyUsdaaosug/s1600/diaper+tutorial+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFk3iicYv-s0LbwOERXiHB1Uaoj3j13rABCB6F7Osh0Vb0YBcELsScG2bTuziPEXSjRvO-Iyv_3dtG5NKiGtNctqpnJZzCoPR5G0PzPYBzqGxBZYDx3z2DpAnXHSjhkglVzyUsdaaosug/s400/diaper+tutorial+033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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OK, see how nicely it is coming together? That step saves you from having to sew the waistband on like the cuffs, set-in.</div>
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Line up the second side seam: cuff, body, and waist band:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SnZCYZrtk-GS-c3YixFrmLJzx0_RyUAeBmxHoXHSoMbagxOfZCginAetlTk1PBnsQ7Ud2Nq9WEVDSiXf2ZQiY2ixJZJj7FL5yi5roCw34nbgy85q1SlhXaQSE-5FZukNlEeK6niF6x8/s1600/diaper+tutorial+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SnZCYZrtk-GS-c3YixFrmLJzx0_RyUAeBmxHoXHSoMbagxOfZCginAetlTk1PBnsQ7Ud2Nq9WEVDSiXf2ZQiY2ixJZJj7FL5yi5roCw34nbgy85q1SlhXaQSE-5FZukNlEeK6niF6x8/s400/diaper+tutorial+034.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I pinned that just to show you... I usually would just go for it :). (Also, ignore that seam across the butt of the soaker. I had to piece the 2nd main soaker layer because my sweater was so small.)</td></tr>
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Sew:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFryNxGmxeMPkCBpwoxNO9vWc5-pgoiJEqm6xWyoOXhyphenhyphenJTxMSAyx-0UH1O0kVk4vzawDN6A576rc-QGTqpEdODyYgnmcUUNAp_eQNxYTyh7MI1M_CzwM6TEsX1iGuxT2mDVE5kVucCR_E/s1600/diaper+tutorial+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFryNxGmxeMPkCBpwoxNO9vWc5-pgoiJEqm6xWyoOXhyphenhyphenJTxMSAyx-0UH1O0kVk4vzawDN6A576rc-QGTqpEdODyYgnmcUUNAp_eQNxYTyh7MI1M_CzwM6TEsX1iGuxT2mDVE5kVucCR_E/s400/diaper+tutorial+035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Isn't that pretty?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq21mnYqFq5bNsMwxaN4BH707KnKkQFYRursV0Mr-US4MgsFBIpmIjE1VtsFaz2UIp-vR-JpyVRmyni2HLTOA2-97ZW4Po8DFvByqnXuirTB4P5URNdAEG3X2V6dO5XXm8LKFKeUD02UA/s1600/diaper+tutorial+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq21mnYqFq5bNsMwxaN4BH707KnKkQFYRursV0Mr-US4MgsFBIpmIjE1VtsFaz2UIp-vR-JpyVRmyni2HLTOA2-97ZW4Po8DFvByqnXuirTB4P5URNdAEG3X2V6dO5XXm8LKFKeUD02UA/s400/diaper+tutorial+038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is the seam allowance of the last side seam... trim diagonally at the top (waistband). This will ensure your seam allowance doesn't show from the front. Sorry if that is confusing....</div>
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And here you see the angled leg cuff. You don't need to trim the seam allowance because the angle of the cuff hides it:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKZbyh0FJrmsgliMa67yNJ4dU39U_DLApA9eRaGo_QtN2xRhFBNdoG7zSdhw5v5-YIbX_LpUSDuUIki4clOxd3QUx2kVuQ18uV63d7GO5xyimRiBwX1E0TmO7fCr-G3m4qhU8qclaWIw/s1600/diaper+tutorial+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKZbyh0FJrmsgliMa67yNJ4dU39U_DLApA9eRaGo_QtN2xRhFBNdoG7zSdhw5v5-YIbX_LpUSDuUIki4clOxd3QUx2kVuQ18uV63d7GO5xyimRiBwX1E0TmO7fCr-G3m4qhU8qclaWIw/s400/diaper+tutorial+037.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a soaker leg cuff that is cut straight, instead of angles, you'll want to trim the seam allowance here, too, to prevent it from peeking out while being worn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I do not finish my seams on the inside because they won't fray if the sweater is felted . Also, when I have overlocked or zigzagged them on the edges, they get somewhat stiff and bulky. And scratchy. So I use really soft sweaters and leave them alone. I think this is most comfy for babies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqIzicd7vcXTyOvlkxcA7w1nBqk4_YmpGqOBBMPA_p9k235MNIZKdTDQABDmo1i4ls-Ne2rvAMqXDfxiOn8Y-QZvsEZbrBRu-wVda_T2D88rnZTgM-HNj_lG91PD_xHLpAGoHG7SkbYs/s1600/diaper+tutorial+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqIzicd7vcXTyOvlkxcA7w1nBqk4_YmpGqOBBMPA_p9k235MNIZKdTDQABDmo1i4ls-Ne2rvAMqXDfxiOn8Y-QZvsEZbrBRu-wVda_T2D88rnZTgM-HNj_lG91PD_xHLpAGoHG7SkbYs/s400/diaper+tutorial+039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Although this pic shows the waistband seam, and it is very obvious, it is much more subtle when it is on a baby.</div>
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And another soaker, 2 layers of a thick cashmere with the rest of the merino waistband:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge92jAqVlCCdB-oC11DYS5nVgKEyp5sZaTmg5c02b4BRDjT0RSUSxdePOMuFmLLe9evzghQfevK2ka8FflOtB48F0BQZKPC5Le8sIJCLKorSTalPoYCN7fQ2fViHbaV8M2gi6PB_IbzZs/s1600/diaper+tutorial+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge92jAqVlCCdB-oC11DYS5nVgKEyp5sZaTmg5c02b4BRDjT0RSUSxdePOMuFmLLe9evzghQfevK2ka8FflOtB48F0BQZKPC5Le8sIJCLKorSTalPoYCN7fQ2fViHbaV8M2gi6PB_IbzZs/s400/diaper+tutorial+045.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You may be able to tell that I did not trim as much off the waistband here. The waist doesn't pull in as much as on the soaker above. It should still be enough to prevent gaps.<br />
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<div align="center">
The pink cashmere sweater didn't have a stretchy ribbed waist. It had a firm edging like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XLjTOdbdwtz2q1l4Ss8PWmVjnfZ8Sg2rFKkHwpWzCoYXPIItUAC-Al8SAn1GeMcC1cadd5OovbupZ89RJ5jlcoe1H276WmzXgmE6rrdcNzRNSNajV8U2BH0DNwEqyjXDQfGV0UlEiEk/s1600/diaper+tutorial+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XLjTOdbdwtz2q1l4Ss8PWmVjnfZ8Sg2rFKkHwpWzCoYXPIItUAC-Al8SAn1GeMcC1cadd5OovbupZ89RJ5jlcoe1H276WmzXgmE6rrdcNzRNSNajV8U2BH0DNwEqyjXDQfGV0UlEiEk/s400/diaper+tutorial+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The cuffs were fine for the legs, but I wanted a stretchier waist. So I used the leftover ribbing from the first sweater. Waste not, want not!</div>
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Happy sewing. Leave any questions in the comments and I will try to get to them asap.</div>
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<strong> </strong></div>
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<strong> </strong></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" ~Milton Berle</strong></span></em></div>
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Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-14890845866814216822014-09-11T16:45:00.002-05:002014-09-11T16:47:52.544-05:00September Cooking Class RecipesHere are the recipes from this month's CHAO cooking class! Kids can make these yummy, nutritious snacks with minimal adult supervision. Always helpful for the busy homeschooling mom....<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><strong>No-Bake Chocolate Cookies</strong></u></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM51ANhTepNUDBNxLOdU3Okr_IINyEddJtHoG6Pz6UHlj5xTk-pBSK-ykrSEaG9iZKnqS6P3N52m4KiP803jy3oZwo5zqgr4Gdk34xSSAcKo4EMMKPQkON2Z7iap2b9sK0uZ9w9vtdKIw/s1600/9-11-14+225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM51ANhTepNUDBNxLOdU3Okr_IINyEddJtHoG6Pz6UHlj5xTk-pBSK-ykrSEaG9iZKnqS6P3N52m4KiP803jy3oZwo5zqgr4Gdk34xSSAcKo4EMMKPQkON2Z7iap2b9sK0uZ9w9vtdKIw/s1600/9-11-14+225.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
1 bag chocolate chips<br />
1c peanut butter or almond butter<br />
2c rolled oats<br />
2/3c raw, unsweetened coconut shreds<br />
optional, 1/4c sunflower seeds, chia seeds, or chopped walnuts<br />
<br />
Line a plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place chocolate chips and nut butter in glass bowl. Melt in microwave about 45 seconds, or in a pan of hot water on the stove. When melted, stir thoroughly and add all other ingredients. Drop onto parchment paper by the spoonful. Freeze or refrigerate until set. ENJOY!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JPNSXfnfH5AepKwjiVdCN_G3vb0rLY_xN29rQFAw0tXvQ0HYEY5mlLOPtG0KgXO1lyfdz_HGTEgx8aMY3aN1BMMpL9lmZNTLTi8SCpSXwv7AbP83Mb9BrjoDxMnt_sqQUzrvZ6_zb-E/s1600/9-11-14+222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JPNSXfnfH5AepKwjiVdCN_G3vb0rLY_xN29rQFAw0tXvQ0HYEY5mlLOPtG0KgXO1lyfdz_HGTEgx8aMY3aN1BMMpL9lmZNTLTi8SCpSXwv7AbP83Mb9BrjoDxMnt_sqQUzrvZ6_zb-E/s1600/9-11-14+222.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneak licks at home... but not at cooking class!!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><strong>Chia Gel Drink</strong></u></span><br />
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2T chia seeds<br />
1c juice<br />
optional, 1/8t stevia extract powder<br />
<br />
Place chia seeds in a bottle with tight-fitting lid. Pour juice on top and cap. Shake vigorously for 2 minutes. Place in refrigerator till ready to drink. Before drinking, give it a good shake to disperse the seeds evenly. Add the stevia if your juice is too tart.<br />
<br />
<strong>About chia seeds:</strong><br />
Chia seeds are tiny black seeds, smaller than millet and typically contain 20% protein, 34% oil, 25% dietary fiber, and significant levels of antioxidants. The oil from chia seeds contains a very high concentration of omega-3 fatty acid - about 64%. When soaked in water, they release a gel that is highly nutritious. They do not need to be ground (or even chewed) in order for the omega-3's to be utilized by the body.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><strong>Ants on a Log </strong></u></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA2s_QgP8Ibksep4ZWJt96nIetFHpU3FCSc4rCcTpzkFI1pvl2jghymZUDmILh2JF6e62I5NiLButlfZDxX9Fo7XIyBRIK11cG9ErD9f2RKqPCCmP2U9Lzotby-0CEYb27EPBlvSbsmA/s1600/9-11+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA2s_QgP8Ibksep4ZWJt96nIetFHpU3FCSc4rCcTpzkFI1pvl2jghymZUDmILh2JF6e62I5NiLButlfZDxX9Fo7XIyBRIK11cG9ErD9f2RKqPCCmP2U9Lzotby-0CEYb27EPBlvSbsmA/s1600/9-11+002.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivy made her own snack today!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1 bunch celery<br />
1/2c peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter<br />
1/4c raisins or cranberries<br />
<br />
The ultimate easy-to-make kid snack!!!<br />
<br />
Cut your celery into lengths and wash. Spread with nut butter; top with raisins or cranberries. Yum!<br />
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Coming in November: <strong>Banana Boats</strong> and <strong>Crazy-Pop Popcorn </strong></div>
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(No classes in October due to Archbishop's Mass and Luncheon) </div>
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<em>"Above all, the child must be well fed!" ~Charlotte Mason</em></div>
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<br />Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-21681091347858820722014-02-06T13:03:00.002-06:002014-02-06T13:16:47.870-06:00It's Not Easy Being Green<i><span style="font-family: georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;">"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;"> ~Mark Twain</span> </i><br />
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<br />
<i> </i>Sometimes at night I lie awake and think about my blog- about how much I enjoy writing and how much I miss working on it. But I'm a perfectionist. I don't come back because I don't have time to post everyday, or to post lots of lavish photographs and amazing recipes.<br />
<br />
Having my 4th child, going wheat-free on top of dairy-free, and moving 2 times in 1 year really KICKED MY BUTT. I have to prioritize. I can't attachment parent, night nurse, and make 90% of our food, plus homeschool and volunteer, AND record it all on an amazing blog. No siree. Superwoman has left the building.<br />
<br />
But today I had an idea to get myself blogging again with a little regularity. <br />
<br />
I love food; I love organics; I love all things green.<br />
<br />
But you know what I hate? <br />
<br />
Spending money on nifty 'green' or 'organic' items only to hate, hate, hate them. I can only assume, dear reader, that you, too, lust and obsess over <i>x</i> item you LOVE and DESIRE, only once you possess it, you are disgusted no one told you X, Y, and Z. And had you known said xyz, never would you have parted with your own "green" for it.<br />
<br />
It's the same line of reasoning that I go for when I read only the 1 and 2 star reviews when I'm shopping- anybody can "love" something, but I'd rather know what people hate and decide if I can live with the drawbacks.<br />
<br />
So once or twice a week I'm going to review green things I hate.<br />
<br />
Water bottles, supplements, organic baby items, cloth diapers, etc. <br />
<br />
If it's green and I hate it, you're gonna hear about it. <br />
<i><br /></i>
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<br />
<i><span style="font-family: georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;">"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing." </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;">~Redd Foxx</span></i><br />
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Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-33497411399438448572013-12-23T17:16:00.001-06:002013-12-23T17:17:53.142-06:00Kids rooms done at last!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-58684240922885878292013-06-10T23:53:00.001-05:002013-06-11T00:00:13.765-05:00Soaked Muesli<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way. "</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>~Thoreau</em></div>
<br />
No big deal. It only took 3 hours of trial and failure on the bedtime routine to buy myself 30 minutes for a post here... compliments of<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd8pFsM3mS90Sjf4WBRH8fYXLOKPuHXyY0VrrzYGYW3se0H_kukrSUpYYu-nSRdVlzp0j6EXDt-w2rEPEMvmWgm6J2j_45DCH6Qp4CckE-jF3gXyHlNnYDl_EE09VAXd6Y6oBb2Tcwg0/s1600/oatmeal+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd8pFsM3mS90Sjf4WBRH8fYXLOKPuHXyY0VrrzYGYW3se0H_kukrSUpYYu-nSRdVlzp0j6EXDt-w2rEPEMvmWgm6J2j_45DCH6Qp4CckE-jF3gXyHlNnYDl_EE09VAXd6Y6oBb2Tcwg0/s400/oatmeal+002.JPG" width="298" /></a>.</div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">See the tear on her little cheek?</span></em></div>
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Anyway, sorry for the no-explanation-of-where-I've-been-for-six-months, but food is much more interesting than my 2013 has been, so here's the skinny on <strong><u>Soaked Muesli</u></strong> instead.<br />
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I've noticed the 'Refrigerator Oatmeal' trend in foodie cyberspace and I'm here to set the record straight: <br />
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1) Eating raw grains for breakfast is called <strong><em>muesli</em>. </strong>Not oatmeal.<br />
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2) Rolled oats are <strong><em>not </em></strong>raw. They've been steam rolled. <br />
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3) Refrigerating uncooked oatmeal is convenient and delicious but it could be so much *<strong>more</strong>* if folks would do it *<strong>right.*</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Soaking grains for the neophyte healthy eater seems odd, daunting, and downright frustrating. I know when I had freshly weaned my husband off white flour that the addition of <em>soaking </em>our whole grains was enough to make me hyperventilate so I just hit my mental *delete* button and went on with life.<br />
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However, the concept and the 'why' behind it kept popping up every now and then. Over the course of several years, I wrapped my mind around the why, then the how, and slowly incorporated soaking into my preparation of grains (and nuts), while refusing to let myself become a perfectionist or paranoid crazy person over it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG4bqutz7uCG9-QV23pK4tUzO4EgjiDQ7AOZD-AqY5LzjOWvvwKV_mx0HOvTBBpkL4ybAvqEHxsGKkJaWa9oYU4avsnLlTayVdVC4M5xjuIEpEsUMtPML2fkoNhLxNroPD6fAczUlPJU/s1600/oatmeal+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG4bqutz7uCG9-QV23pK4tUzO4EgjiDQ7AOZD-AqY5LzjOWvvwKV_mx0HOvTBBpkL4ybAvqEHxsGKkJaWa9oYU4avsnLlTayVdVC4M5xjuIEpEsUMtPML2fkoNhLxNroPD6fAczUlPJU/s320/oatmeal+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Enough for a couple breakfasts and snacks for us- but for my friend with 11 kids, this </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">countertop full of oats will be a single meal!!!</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
Long story short: soaking grains properly before cooking or consuming them raw makes them more digestible, increases their nutrition, and *<em>may* </em>prevent or mitigate allergic reactions, depending on the person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqPNkBaZ74WrBCG8HHixtj3RWo3mIfdxLs1TORibwWu8s5Ho7Hj8jn_FH7eBKTDGa7Nq5LmSFeFfIPUEjHiOX0ldGzHY59-hXnSlo0QzIQbNyieECi2JV9cf-8CDbxmydxQiJnxcmV5Q/s1600/oatmeal+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqPNkBaZ74WrBCG8HHixtj3RWo3mIfdxLs1TORibwWu8s5Ho7Hj8jn_FH7eBKTDGa7Nq5LmSFeFfIPUEjHiOX0ldGzHY59-hXnSlo0QzIQbNyieECi2JV9cf-8CDbxmydxQiJnxcmV5Q/s320/oatmeal+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Husband-friendly Muesli: add raw coconut sugar and mini chocolate chips, plus (shudder) a dash of organic half-and-half</span></em></div>
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To soak oatmeal is simple, since it is partly cooked. But it must be done at room temperature. Refrigerating the oats after mixing cuts short the process. So *try* to make this up in the morning. Then let it sit till bedtime and pop your jars or covered bowls in the fridge <em>then. </em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YK2vNOhljBk5nKmcNxQZ4DvHSMkz0_ajy0VnbMvUShGLGDfQMSR7vIwbu4H38BOSRrSHGaIZyl2lqpW5EAGm81_JxXi2F3k9NN_WupBzJuZyoPWQUOWpEM8CYT8HPQ5EnZ_naZWAcjA/s1600/oatmeal+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YK2vNOhljBk5nKmcNxQZ4DvHSMkz0_ajy0VnbMvUShGLGDfQMSR7vIwbu4H38BOSRrSHGaIZyl2lqpW5EAGm81_JxXi2F3k9NN_WupBzJuZyoPWQUOWpEM8CYT8HPQ5EnZ_naZWAcjA/s320/oatmeal+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Soaked Muesli</span></u></strong><br />
<em>per serving:</em><br />
1/2 c oats<br />
1-2 t chia seeds (or ground flaxseed, or both)<br />
1-2T almond flour (for protein, or sub any combo of nuts and other seeds)<br />
1/2 sliced banana<br />
1-2T raisins (or mini chocolate chips)<br />
1/4t cinnamon (skip this if you go chocolate-y)<br />
1T yogurt or water kefir<br />
8- 12 oz. milk of your choice (I use half milk/ half water if I'm low)<br />
1-2t extra sugar, if you must<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAfO17YM-MPsDyg6EIdgr1Q_fVTow_qlHT-mqAJTA67Hr5IDTJkXeiRGg6DQub3fDeTfUyBFwdDIoaJf3kqC_HT1IQ8T0UspP5IW0a1Nl-Y4H3WhqCOvOmzOIR-QDiEOwnjFHNDM-8C4/s1600/oatmeal+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAfO17YM-MPsDyg6EIdgr1Q_fVTow_qlHT-mqAJTA67Hr5IDTJkXeiRGg6DQub3fDeTfUyBFwdDIoaJf3kqC_HT1IQ8T0UspP5IW0a1Nl-Y4H3WhqCOvOmzOIR-QDiEOwnjFHNDM-8C4/s320/oatmeal+007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">ch-ch-ch-chia! (Remember?)</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
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Place oats in bottom of a 16 oz jar or bowl. (This makes a lot but we eat big breakfasts.) Dump everything on top and stir with a chopstick. If you need more milk, go ahead. The ingredients really gel up, so make this pretty watery. If you really want to increase the enzyme activity going on during the soak, you can warm up your milk/ water-and-milk before adding it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRargIqvWvMKZq1VgEc7I6_hMlVx0vh92L7z6B0zPWv0CmLb_t3FqE56pF2XkEOObCW5zimBI3bvKpmzNuzGHRT5xtKnQFubyxM4WWWzf3C08j-Ky8L0-JvFy_UJymn16mFHYRxJugkE/s1600/oatmeal+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRargIqvWvMKZq1VgEc7I6_hMlVx0vh92L7z6B0zPWv0CmLb_t3FqE56pF2XkEOObCW5zimBI3bvKpmzNuzGHRT5xtKnQFubyxM4WWWzf3C08j-Ky8L0-JvFy_UJymn16mFHYRxJugkE/s320/oatmeal+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Almond flour (just finely ground almonds): protein you don't need to chew! Great for 3-year-olds.</span></em></div>
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Top with a lid and let sit at room temperature for about 12 hours. Then refrigerate and enjoy cold on a hot summer morning.<br />
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You can technically let this sit out for 24 hours, but if the room is warm-ish, and you've added fruit or sugar, your muesli might get pretty sour and ZING-y. I like to let it sit out during cold weather and then warm the muesli really gently before eating it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9T9JPV96df120uGBcxpkPdZJ3tSMiIWSiXK0O0liNtYtgXVVmRc44q23U_UNRHJz-_2J6BHM05YeCIj9NoT91i4kN3dS-7p9TEzYAgPKpkCSR6tXOgoifDOTHyh6mZNe-sNytm6FIEs/s1600/oatmeal+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9T9JPV96df120uGBcxpkPdZJ3tSMiIWSiXK0O0liNtYtgXVVmRc44q23U_UNRHJz-_2J6BHM05YeCIj9NoT91i4kN3dS-7p9TEzYAgPKpkCSR6tXOgoifDOTHyh6mZNe-sNytm6FIEs/s320/oatmeal+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, other than being delish, what's the best thing about <strong><u>Soaked Muesli</u></strong>? It uses up extra kefir:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGh3RFj7V4DX3kTahCb9jIVsrAEQSxLqBZk9Qnkysx8b09q-z8n3vFMDlELNKumXKSHgYDn5DPLLBvoyNP8DFMPJyNvWHLktZLEQnSBcl7NtT5r7H0cvaEwllUlYY6C68EVS1eTCadIs/s1600/oatmeal+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGh3RFj7V4DX3kTahCb9jIVsrAEQSxLqBZk9Qnkysx8b09q-z8n3vFMDlELNKumXKSHgYDn5DPLLBvoyNP8DFMPJyNvWHLktZLEQnSBcl7NtT5r7H0cvaEwllUlYY6C68EVS1eTCadIs/s320/oatmeal+012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">A jar of the home-made probiotic 'water kefir' that is taking over my <strike>life </strike>kitchen.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
I've been making water kefir, which is a non-dairy version of the liquid-y yogurt-y probiotic drink that more and more people are drinking and more and more regular stores are carrying. Unfortunately, like yogurt, most of the kefir you get commercially is straight-up junk. You can add small amounts to soaking grains to break down the <em>phytase.</em> <br />
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More than you wanted to know:<br />
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Phytase is an anti-nutrient that is, traditionally, broken down before grains are consumed. Before modern man invented commercial yeast, quick-cooking rice, and other strange things, grains could only be consumed after breaking them down, <em>a la </em>sourdough bread (for wheat) or traditional Mexican nixtamal (for corn) or traditional Middle Eastern salt-soaking (for rice). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPS2By1bKP_ZJbPeLNOsoTcCMpp-HoFaqcFR0uQvC2ONkMBtphEhGHpTDi8EOakSpOQeht30gHK0FYPeNlouq7eytYXiWle-NTWQbPA-t2BadFpwssy47VbndNNMkRDb10vJvxN8ETaQ/s1600/oatmeal+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPS2By1bKP_ZJbPeLNOsoTcCMpp-HoFaqcFR0uQvC2ONkMBtphEhGHpTDi8EOakSpOQeht30gHK0FYPeNlouq7eytYXiWle-NTWQbPA-t2BadFpwssy47VbndNNMkRDb10vJvxN8ETaQ/s320/oatmeal+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Really picky foodies will probably balk at the way I soak rolled oats, but since rolled oats are not truly raw, it breaks down faster than most other grains (i.e. it does not need to soak a full 24 hours like rice or several days like wheat or spelt). <br />
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I've heard internet rumors that you can do this muesli with steel-cut oats and simply increase both soaking times, but I probably won't try that till my rolled oats run out and I feel too cheap to replace them before using up my steel-cut.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtlIBVsqZ0sChjuqdZBvoCM1En6-DJMmRxJNdAMWdOsUNEJtrAYsysKpK9LEvuDlmQFNS2AuHVeFNSN9sNVFfUTBPn1CTaP7ulMi3tVM2MJWFjLSaom-yW23XJIfG97YRjn_AMc4mbx8/s1600/oatmeal+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtlIBVsqZ0sChjuqdZBvoCM1En6-DJMmRxJNdAMWdOsUNEJtrAYsysKpK9LEvuDlmQFNS2AuHVeFNSN9sNVFfUTBPn1CTaP7ulMi3tVM2MJWFjLSaom-yW23XJIfG97YRjn_AMc4mbx8/s320/oatmeal+014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ridiculously delicious coconut kefir makes this recipe out-of-this-world scrumptious.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
You can learn more about kefir and how to make it at <a href="http://www.culturesforlife.com/">www.culturesforlife.com</a>, if your interest has been piqued.<br />
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And, to close, an unedited version of my 8 pm kitchen, to prove that I am absolutely no super-mom:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ43SnSH2cWZr7mSEcJajopKD7Fv_PhfqsbwthdjjFLlhrKzU7ZD-JFvokO-qwI8ZehiRC7hGtT0JtnW7rczY8U-1XLD3cXFgOJ6J8wLf-JM2huXgEIH6tNpUf23VBAB96QYCTJltSDDE/s1600/oatmeal+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ43SnSH2cWZr7mSEcJajopKD7Fv_PhfqsbwthdjjFLlhrKzU7ZD-JFvokO-qwI8ZehiRC7hGtT0JtnW7rczY8U-1XLD3cXFgOJ6J8wLf-JM2huXgEIH6tNpUf23VBAB96QYCTJltSDDE/s400/oatmeal+015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty." </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>~Sicilian Proverb</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,<br /> All losses are restored and sorrows end."<br /> ~William Shakespeare</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em></em></span><br />
<em>"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way. "</em><br />
<em>~Thoreau</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><!--QSO--><br />Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-60631450123762010962013-01-01T14:12:00.003-06:002013-01-01T14:16:11.804-06:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">"New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> ~Mark Twain</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> "May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> ~Joey Adams</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">He who breaks a resolution is a weakling;<br />He who makes one is a fool.<br />~F.M. Knowles</span></div>
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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."<br />
-Ghandi</div>
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</span><o:p></o:p>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-54114304867894410562012-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:002012-12-23T08:00:02.918-06:00you-can't-be-allergic-to-this-PUMPKIN PIEOK, well, someone could be, I'm sure. You can always try to use an egg replacer like ener-G if that's the issue.<br />
<br />
I'm feeling really smug about this pumpkin pie recipe, as no one hasd been able to tell the difference between it and 'real' pumpkin pie. <br />
<br />
Start with your crust. You can use whatever. Ground almonds make a really yummy 'graham cracker' style crust which is a nice change from a regular crust. And most any cookbook will have an 'easy oil crust' type recipe which you can use with coconut or spelt flour and coconut oil or sunflower oil or whatever. Our tester pies were spelt with coconut oil, but our Christmas pie is a gluten-free pie crust mix from Whole <strike>Paycheck </strike>Foods.<br />
<br />
Then, the pumpkin!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>you-can't-be-allergic-to-this-PUMPKIN PIE</u></strong><br />
1 can pumpkin<br />
1 can coconut milk, full fat NOT lite<br />
2 eggs<br />
3/4c coconut sugar, 1/2c maple sugar, or 2/3c agave<br />
1/2t salt<br />
1t cinnamon<br />
1/2t ginger<br />
1/4t cloves<br />
<br />
Toss all this in the blender and pour into your crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven to 350 and bake 35 more minutes. That's it. I'll add some pictures when ours is done!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbJC15xYgBsHFxvB4eZsaHbkiabTl0oVSJTd1cSACgouwMD-4XYQfBhQ6_zIXnb0QopZnhJYcQRWj4waMgVLmLY34fFkE23CTcCAbpOMcJpzG5ocOP5i88AujdfJ7myZRTnOARYwY-7Q/s1600/december2012+214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbJC15xYgBsHFxvB4eZsaHbkiabTl0oVSJTd1cSACgouwMD-4XYQfBhQ6_zIXnb0QopZnhJYcQRWj4waMgVLmLY34fFkE23CTcCAbpOMcJpzG5ocOP5i88AujdfJ7myZRTnOARYwY-7Q/s400/december2012+214.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. " ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby</span></em>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-63698397278545603802012-12-22T15:10:00.002-06:002012-12-22T15:10:59.595-06:00Peanut Butter Cookies! gluten-free, dairy-freeI'd like to say I've used my blogging break in some uberprofitable or at least ubercool way, but I haven't. Nope. Just life and Advent as usual, but a little more unplugged. I love blogging but I'm not really that fond of the internet. Go figure.<br />
<br />
I have, at least, come up with some smashingly delicious holiday treats, though probably putting them up 3 days before Christmas is not overly helpful.<br />
<br />
Ah, well, happy new year!<br />
<br />
My first recipe is these utterly perfect, allergen-free peanut butter cookies. If you happen to be allergic to peanuts? Hold on till tomorrow for the perfect pumpkin pie.<br />
<br />
<u><strong>Peanut Butter Cookies</strong></u><br />
1c natural peanut butter<br />
1c coconut oil, softened but not totally melted<br />
3/4c maple sugar or coconut sugar (you can sub any sweetener you like)<br />
2 eggs<br />
2t vanilla<br />
3/4c coconut flour (or sub 2c spelt flour)<br />
1/4t salt<br />
2t baking soda<br />
1c peanuts, if desired<br />
<br />
Cream first three ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, salt, soda, and peanuts and mix well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QQr3uEZ65lMrQH_Lugibpxl41iyZBR9desTxnJJEDf9XFhn7yjVMFDgtj3LLmaktifvbp8Efwcb4DmYXA7IJlxRRtw_AYNbLh-J86TPyli33y_MMV2eq2phIzBcJ3xiPJIR3AiQWazs/s1600/december2012+203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QQr3uEZ65lMrQH_Lugibpxl41iyZBR9desTxnJJEDf9XFhn7yjVMFDgtj3LLmaktifvbp8Efwcb4DmYXA7IJlxRRtw_AYNbLh-J86TPyli33y_MMV2eq2phIzBcJ3xiPJIR3AiQWazs/s400/december2012+203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Form tablespoon-sized balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet or cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. You may need to add another Tablespoon or two of flour if dough is sticky. You may need to do some extra forming of the balls if they are crumbling. Smash with a fork in a criss-cross and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKL7130YOFY8mHAcazKvt8sejVEMcg2B8ZsUQ71tP0zypaHWweUAcxEpT1VVCaotPUcrg5rQg-gBY7Vg5V8Qw9Pxrbl2ghXfw2RrDeVqVXmTmy3Rtp3nr6NGyhXNRECYuAHRg4jV64GSo/s1600/december2012+204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKL7130YOFY8mHAcazKvt8sejVEMcg2B8ZsUQ71tP0zypaHWweUAcxEpT1VVCaotPUcrg5rQg-gBY7Vg5V8Qw9Pxrbl2ghXfw2RrDeVqVXmTmy3Rtp3nr6NGyhXNRECYuAHRg4jV64GSo/s400/december2012+204.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Now, COOL COOKIES COMPLETELY ON THE SHEETS. Do NOT move these cookies till they are good and cool, or they will be very crumbly. They firm up as they sit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfDqae7pOiDayS8cP6SOehGe5sWxlVf6NkIUA1kwZ0op39-gFkAmprEiOJPpTE0PD0vDh53mmeJUrvcQoY8tMA8xVtgFGGkffm80ojf3FjuQAe88Un3yieLvYjHfTyaqm6LP3CNdh9Fo/s1600/december2012+205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfDqae7pOiDayS8cP6SOehGe5sWxlVf6NkIUA1kwZ0op39-gFkAmprEiOJPpTE0PD0vDh53mmeJUrvcQoY8tMA8xVtgFGGkffm80ojf3FjuQAe88Un3yieLvYjHfTyaqm6LP3CNdh9Fo/s400/december2012+205.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>
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So good with hot tea or hot chocolate. Our tester batches were inhaled in minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWLm3Q4DSDspccCEsQuzVylvFBbs_xFOqmo7IwZMAT4R3jYUTopXZRuwcU5zZxH5zA40eR70k1b1wFZaEVr0j0rg9-5UmhbiWVQTfnqJX4T_P8FPa6xLc7fCNEDOPVUeYjW3kWZ1upHs/s1600/december2012+206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWLm3Q4DSDspccCEsQuzVylvFBbs_xFOqmo7IwZMAT4R3jYUTopXZRuwcU5zZxH5zA40eR70k1b1wFZaEVr0j0rg9-5UmhbiWVQTfnqJX4T_P8FPa6xLc7fCNEDOPVUeYjW3kWZ1upHs/s400/december2012+206.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
And my amazing helper:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehd-nryP94vN8wicMgBYVKfeIqHz5fhktbT_7utwMnVH1Xsqw7pyGkUAnZHzFhGbOOGoIBQVJmPoqTT6Mje3kPRcR24J-TJ-NGbBy4CsppwHe_o9SlAdvFaj0bC7C-ydd6pvnG5mCHmw/s1600/december2012+208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehd-nryP94vN8wicMgBYVKfeIqHz5fhktbT_7utwMnVH1Xsqw7pyGkUAnZHzFhGbOOGoIBQVJmPoqTT6Mje3kPRcR24J-TJ-NGbBy4CsppwHe_o9SlAdvFaj0bC7C-ydd6pvnG5mCHmw/s320/december2012+208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I couldn't get anything accomplished without my wonderful babysitter.</div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas." ~Peg Bracken</span></em></div>
Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-38680356044446972602012-11-28T20:01:00.001-06:002012-11-28T20:01:29.371-06:00Christmas Treasures: Good King Wenceslas<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em><br />
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<img border="0" height="276" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1609071433&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=breadwi-20" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm to the point where I hesitate. Majorly. Before any given homeschool purchase. Even if said purchase is something as innocuous and non-space-guzzling as a book. And the longer I homeschool the more wary I become of recommending "things"- <em>any "things"- </em>to any one. I'm a minimalist, to be sure. Plus there are only so many slots in any homeschooler's library! And I think we all hold our wallets just a little tighter these days. <br />
<br />
So when I call something a treasure, I don't do it lightly. Let alone a book! Books. Books. <span style="font-size: large;">Books. </span><span style="font-size: small;">There are so many. Good ones. Bad ones. Sometimes I think I'll write one but then every time I go to Barnes and Noble I get sort of sick looking at the sea of books... only a small fraction of which are worth anybody's time. Too many books.</span><br />
<br />
We have a treasury of Tomie de Paola'sw Christmas books which we lovingly display and read each Advent. We don't need any more Christmas books! But I couldn't walk by this one. I<span style="font-size: large;"><strong> had</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"> to stop and look. Then I had to read it. Then, well, I had to have it for our collection; despite all my misgivings, I just couldn't pass this beauty up.</span><br />
<br />
The book tells the story of St. Wenceslas with exquisite illustrations. And his story couldn'y be more <em>apropo</em> for the children of our time. I don't want to tell you the story in case you've never heard it. But King Wenceslas embodies the spirit of giving in a concrete way that really sinks in for children. So if you only buy one Christmas book this year, may I be so bold as to say, <em>this should be it! </em><br />
<br />
God bless, and happy reading.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breadwi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609071433" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609071433/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609071433&linkCode=as2&tag=breadwi-20" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609071433/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609071433&linkCode=as2&tag=breadwi-20">Good King Wenceslas</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breadwi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609071433" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher." </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Flannery O'Connor</span></em>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-54269677282661432742012-11-12T14:12:00.003-06:002012-11-12T14:13:21.897-06:00NOT-So-Ordinary Pork and Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Worries go down better with soup." </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Jewish Proverb</span><!--COCI--></em></div>
<br />
Soup weather at last! I made this soup in honor of an organic, free-range pork roast we're trying out from a local farm, but any old pork roast will do. It's a great way to stretch the meat for a hungry crowd. Or substitute extra seasoning and 2T extra virgin olive oil for the roast for a yummy and vegan- but still very rich- bowl of soup.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>PORK AND BLACK BEANS</u></strong><br />
3 lb pork roast <br />
2c black beans<br />
1c brown rice<br />
2c chopped carrots<br />
1c chopped onion (or leave it in a solid half for flavor if your family hates onions- I do this then John Paul and I eat the onion whole)<br />
2 t sea salt<br />
2 t salt-free seasoning mix of your choice (mine is just the cheap stuff from ALDI)cajun seasoning is a good choice, too<br />
2 4" strips of kombu<br />
2 Tablespoons seaweed flakes (wakame, dulse, etc.), optional<br />
10c boiling water<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsNcAVFrZ3AMLmcKfwyc5u1MYdoaFrF4JUhXDJpI1ZeifKTFudm9svrGdajQieSDySQVTVv8qZkVtvkXLo_1RlPkwiXAk1dnVybK-C6EWyiWSVLVLifJQVtnDH0le9jbPF-7BAXUTKc4/s1600/montessori,+xmas+photo+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsNcAVFrZ3AMLmcKfwyc5u1MYdoaFrF4JUhXDJpI1ZeifKTFudm9svrGdajQieSDySQVTVv8qZkVtvkXLo_1RlPkwiXAk1dnVybK-C6EWyiWSVLVLifJQVtnDH0le9jbPF-7BAXUTKc4/s400/montessori,+xmas+photo+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Start with the beans and rinse well. Pork is usually paired with white beans or split peas but I prefer black beans with pork. Well, with everything, really. Black beans are delicious!<br />
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Adding kombu to the soup means you can use plain water and it turns into soup stock while the soup cooks. Way easy for the lazy cook like myself who doesn't plan ahead. (Actually, I had 6 cups of good chicken stock in the fridge when I made this but I had forgotten about it. Sheesh.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeJgEGG9kv9nZ5IXOKPhT1UAfDoKhyJBfQUo6Zh4KDT9kbMOW71E8PPU-Mi2RhYoqQKTkCcSHfuBbb0pY_Gau83ThJfVlSjybUu4_4Xnh1JCxD2xJq6Je4hgreTpppADpf-C2mfaonN0/s1600/montessori,+xmas+photo+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeJgEGG9kv9nZ5IXOKPhT1UAfDoKhyJBfQUo6Zh4KDT9kbMOW71E8PPU-Mi2RhYoqQKTkCcSHfuBbb0pY_Gau83ThJfVlSjybUu4_4Xnh1JCxD2xJq6Je4hgreTpppADpf-C2mfaonN0/s400/montessori,+xmas+photo+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Now, follow along closely: dump everything into a crockpot and walk away. See my half onion floating? It enriches the soup, but no one has to eat it. Fine with me! I love to eat an onion like this, and so does Johnny.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2A9mtv5NhCbw3eRyr4eTjaYEYudq1eetN1qRzwHzwDTjExyR-mRy3ps4cXbnrLwU0eKXEHUsD06r4-4hHyjg7wBSX112CjZ4Ih5TVnHjQpgxRgtduak9Y6rAsKRkZVrlYvdmid4NY-A/s1600/montessori,+xmas+photo+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2A9mtv5NhCbw3eRyr4eTjaYEYudq1eetN1qRzwHzwDTjExyR-mRy3ps4cXbnrLwU0eKXEHUsD06r4-4hHyjg7wBSX112CjZ4Ih5TVnHjQpgxRgtduak9Y6rAsKRkZVrlYvdmid4NY-A/s400/montessori,+xmas+photo+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"This is every cook's opinion -<br />no savory dish without an onion,<br />but lest your kissing should be spoiled<br />your onions must be fully boiled."<br />~Jonathan Swift</span></em><!--COCI--></div>
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Come back 8 hours later:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAc8pkCC4GQu2kxMHffAsJ5qAS1rULnZBaYCgN8KHXNumUypDUv5FUhlbxRXf-iQvnGoEnhcuPbVMxHZYsED7EhNwKGPMlUuu1z18OACg1rk3UGtq9TUoEVyLaA2yUaRHKjR8h0b5WK4/s1600/montessori,+xmas+photo+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAc8pkCC4GQu2kxMHffAsJ5qAS1rULnZBaYCgN8KHXNumUypDUv5FUhlbxRXf-iQvnGoEnhcuPbVMxHZYsED7EhNwKGPMlUuu1z18OACg1rk3UGtq9TUoEVyLaA2yUaRHKjR8h0b5WK4/s400/montessori,+xmas+photo+067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Voila! Really yummy soup. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ3CFyqnLpBuyVgabg-ZXHbrNrgoCf_b0c04yvlQfLmUWe_oXMisCRIJHqoQ8TqXaQhr_KXt0RAgbOqUcEGfe3E_Wi1rpgrGoGbU6GHhN-4_kJX1-QskEra46q76luLph4Y-bsrxI3w8/s1600/montessori,+xmas+photo+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ3CFyqnLpBuyVgabg-ZXHbrNrgoCf_b0c04yvlQfLmUWe_oXMisCRIJHqoQ8TqXaQhr_KXt0RAgbOqUcEGfe3E_Wi1rpgrGoGbU6GHhN-4_kJX1-QskEra46q76luLph4Y-bsrxI3w8/s400/montessori,+xmas+photo+070.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>This recipe approved by my pickiest eater</em></td></tr>
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Lots of crock pot recipes actually do better on the stove where you can brown or saute ingredients separately. This recipe doesn't really need it, though. Why? Well, truth be told, it's the pork fat. In case you haven't noticed, pork fat tastes good. Really, really good. It's hard to screw up recipes involving pork fat. </div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"I would like to find a stew that will give me heartburn immediately, instead of at three o'clock in the morning."</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> ~John Barrymore</span><!--NCPL; COCI--></em></div>
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Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-32738095762628249712012-11-07T08:29:00.000-06:002012-11-07T08:29:00.083-06:00Elderberry is in; Echinacea is out...Guess what?<br />
<br />
Recent 'for real' research shows that echinacea doesn't work for your cold. Or for cold prevention.<br />
<br />
Say <em>what???</em><br />
<br />
Yep. True.<br />
<br />
So what's a mama to do? Well, don't throw out that echnacea tincture just yet! Turns out echinacea really works on infected flesh, but the tincture needs direct contact with the infection- which makes it perfect for your sore throat! I was skeptical, but recently had the good luck to come down with an awful sore throat. I tried using the ecninacea-cinnamon tincture I make as a gargle- straight. Knocked a serious sore throat right out in just three doses. Nice!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WlhqMqKI7CKqptHCkyutaYkSHx1enafAeqTUgexaRxrrAo-XYxroAiGzz-6oi60HAAdSgVAwtT7zMSphjL9uNIqxpUJMTSUWO8MchfDNDnziwBrQ7gVc-PWYR3oek8ROSQpONEKpylY/s1600/october+12+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WlhqMqKI7CKqptHCkyutaYkSHx1enafAeqTUgexaRxrrAo-XYxroAiGzz-6oi60HAAdSgVAwtT7zMSphjL9uNIqxpUJMTSUWO8MchfDNDnziwBrQ7gVc-PWYR3oek8ROSQpONEKpylY/s320/october+12+063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Random pic of world's cutest baby</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I first heard this 'herb news' from my doctor. He trained in Germany so is pretty hip to herbal healing, for an MD. He went on a tirade about echinacea in my first appointment with him, which was so surprising, I didn't counter. Instead I came home and, in my next 4 minutes of spare time, tried to find these new studies.<br />
<br />
The book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603429875/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1603429875&linkCode=as2&tag=breadwi-20">Herbal Antibiotics, 2nd Edition: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-resistant Bacteria</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breadwi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1603429875" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> (provocative title, eh?) is where I found it. (An excellent book, but not light bedtime reading.) It gives a fascinating history of the herb (well, fascinating to an herb-nerd like me) and also lays out the most up-to-date research on echinacea. Most of which, big surprise, was not conducted on <em>this </em>continent.<br />
<br />
So. Apparently echinacea's use is very new, in the grand scheme of things. And while many German physicians use echinacea, they tend to use <span style="font-size: large;">fresh juice.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I'm not sure I've ever even considered juicing fresh echinacea, and I've never seen it for sale anywhere! So that's pretty key when looking at studies on the herb. Water infusions (tea) of echinacea have shown in clinical trials to be pretty useless against active infections (something I've long suspected), alcohol preparations (tinctures) have a different action, and fresh juice does somehting altogether different. </span><br />
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What gets confusing, thoough, is that while echinacea apparently won't get rid of your cold, or prevent a cold, it does 'work' as a tonic. A tonic is an herb that will build up and strengthen your system over time, but shouldn't be what you reach for first during active infections (when you are actually sick, <em>right now</em>). <br />
<br />
Clear as mud, right?<br />
<br />
Here's what might actually be helpful to remember:<br />
<br />
-echinacea is still good<br />
<em>-Echinacea Augustafolia </em>is medicinally useful, while <em>Echinacea Purpurea</em> (much cheaper) is not as powerful (just look on the label, it will say the variety)<br />
-go for the tincture<br />
-use it like a vitamin, not a medicine, unless you are applying it directly to infected or potentially infected flesh (it's cheaper in your natural first aid kit than lavender essential oil, anyway!)<br />
-don't take echinacea continuously- during cold and flu season, a typical regime is 5 days on, 2 days off, or 2-3 weeks on, 1 week off<br />
-<strong>elderberry</strong> does work well during colds<br />
<br />
Save money by making your own elderberry syrup:<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7203803677748336080#editor/target=post;postID=3932118748135973245" target="_blank">Elderberry Syrup How-To</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEkPg0QZUh0vLt90n732zNOOpnoAnd6u-Oc2ePcLL92zo04DYQ-ptSd5AFm6jCnVd7EjPSWRm-Da3pOJnY9MTcfQpEZm6kQHrK2dxWkOGcLySmrnGZ8TzGiqsQWvVEAxoHW_qsyfIuXs/s1600/ivy+3+mo+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEkPg0QZUh0vLt90n732zNOOpnoAnd6u-Oc2ePcLL92zo04DYQ-ptSd5AFm6jCnVd7EjPSWRm-Da3pOJnY9MTcfQpEZm6kQHrK2dxWkOGcLySmrnGZ8TzGiqsQWvVEAxoHW_qsyfIuXs/s320/ivy+3+mo+004.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Random pic of world's cutest baby</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"Nobody seems more obsessed by diet than our anti-materialistic, otherworldly, New Age spiritual types. But if the material world is merely illusion, an honest guru should be as content with Budweiser and bratwurst as with raw carrot juice, tofu and seaweed slime. " </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Edward Abbey</span><!--COCI--></em>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-63785109654214009712012-11-06T07:55:00.003-06:002012-11-06T08:31:10.478-06:00Venerable Vitamins I'm not here to convince anyone they need vitamin supplements. (Herbs might be another story, since in other cultures "herbs" and "food" are mostly synonomous.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8jwR910ybIdYr4ffvx8Cf_3lGNYPqtvKljS4Q68HwLhANRufzujLVqYa55bDC6_tsyqfrJhtXq-Nzs7t4CJ9rkEbxMsHNJWzy8Z-9l02Zi51y3rAulet81wn3lPM885iBoNp_KkyiA8/s1600/ivy+3+mo+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8jwR910ybIdYr4ffvx8Cf_3lGNYPqtvKljS4Q68HwLhANRufzujLVqYa55bDC6_tsyqfrJhtXq-Nzs7t4CJ9rkEbxMsHNJWzy8Z-9l02Zi51y3rAulet81wn3lPM885iBoNp_KkyiA8/s320/ivy+3+mo+007.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>random pic of world's cutest baby</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So if you feel good, have plenty of energy and resiliency, rarely get sick, and are satisfied with your overall health, you probably don't need extra vitamin and mineral supplements. And my sister was telling me recently that a Swiss study has found supplemental vitamins are purely placebo.... <br />
<br />
I know that I feel better, get sick less often, get well faster, and handle life better on my carefully designed supplement routine. How did I figure it out and where did I start?<br />
<br />
I started with Marilyn Shannon's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UNBLK2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003UNBLK2&linkCode=as2&tag=breadwi-20">Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breadwi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003UNBLK2" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />. I started with the vitamins she recommends, but during my last pregnancy I had to experiment to find something that wouldn't make a reappearance 10 minutes later... eventually finding a raw whole food vitamin supplement: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JAT3TU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005JAT3TU&linkCode=as2&tag=breadwi-20">Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breadwi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005JAT3TU" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />. <br />
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And while I use several different supplements for myself and my little people, I would scale back to just the kids sugar-free chewable multi and my raw prenatal if I needed to keep the cost as low as possible. <br />
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It can be confusing and annoying to try and figure out if the ingredients in a given vitamin bottle are causing as much harm as good, and it's not as fun for some people as it is for me, so I'm sharing a list of 'clean' vitamins with you today. The vitamins are all for sale at Iherb. I shop there if I'm not buying locally because their prices are always between good and awesome. (And if you buy anything from them, yes, I get a miniscule referral fee. Like if 100 people bought something, I could probably get a cup of coffee with it....) Do use the code in the link for $5 or $10 off your first order! <br />
<a href="https://www.iherb.com/mypage/BreadwithHoneyfavorites" target="_blank">Bread with Honey's vitamin and herbals recommendations for cold and flu season</a><br />
<br />
And check out the bubble bath on my list, too. If you are trying to keep chemicals away from your little people's bodies, chances are you don't give them bubble baths. Or, you pay astronomical prices for natural health food store stuff. Iherb sells Nutribiotic's bubble bath for a crazy-low price and it is a bath time staple around here. We love it.<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"In its complexity and sensuality, nature invites exploration, direct contact, and experience. But it also inspires a sense of awe, a glimpse of what is still "un-Goggleable"... life's mystery and magnitude."</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">~Kim Payne, <u>Simplicity Parenting</u></span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>"Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?"</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> ~Author Unknown<br /><br />"I take a vitamin every day. It's called a steak." </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>~Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick, Kicking & Screaming, 2005, spoken by the character Buck Weston</em></span>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-50515219698360277692012-11-03T14:35:00.000-05:002012-11-06T08:32:06.977-06:00Halloween Hangover, anyone?Is there such thing as a sugar hangover? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXY13szuhF1WDvjfRzJ-I9MuT_e1YDfu1-Hk9p0Yn4QwsAUonXkNKUxLadNomxsnrgBB-owS5FoPOHzaxEzywg35yquYY3H38Duj2D-2wxY_bHlWeojU_VWkgHcT2ZqB8WYxeWE3bOciE/s1600/soup+wedding+party+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXY13szuhF1WDvjfRzJ-I9MuT_e1YDfu1-Hk9p0Yn4QwsAUonXkNKUxLadNomxsnrgBB-owS5FoPOHzaxEzywg35yquYY3H38Duj2D-2wxY_bHlWeojU_VWkgHcT2ZqB8WYxeWE3bOciE/s320/soup+wedding+party+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Well, let's see... <br />
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Alcohol and sugar act similarly on your system, creating a blood sugar high followed by a blood sugar low. If you don't stop the cycle, you crave more and nothing else appeals to the palate. Overindulgence in either pulls water from your cells (dehydration), though with sugar you get simultaneous dehydration <em>and</em> bloating- know that feeling? Both tax the immune system and prevent your body from fully utilizing available vitamins and minerals.<br />
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So in my opinion, yes. Halloween Hangover is real. And it sets you up to reach for those candy leftovers again and again (especially at about 10 am, 3:30 pm, and 9 pm). Right up until a few days before Thanksgiving when they run out. And after that, 'the holidays' take over. <br />
<br />
January 1, everyone's holiday adrenaline crashes. Bodies realize they've been running on fumes for at least 6 weeks, and cold and flu season sets in with a vegeance. <br />
<br />
Wow, Maureen, thanks for painting the most wonderful time of the year with such bleak strokes!!!<br />
<br />
While other mommy bloggers are laying out plans for homemade Christmas cards and tree ornaments, hand-knit scarfs for everyone on the block (and their dogs), and recipes for artery clogging, brain-fog-inducing treats, I'm drwaing up battle plans to defend your little darlings from invading viral forces.<br />
<br />
So, fellow mothers and health-food freaks, here's the plan:<br />
<br />
1) <em><span style="font-size: large;">Throw out any remaining Halloween candy</span></em>. You can utilize a magical falsehood we like to call "The Sugar Fairy." You leave aaaaaaaall your extra candy on the front porch at night and she flies by to pick it up before sunrise. She takes the candy to her home in the woods and uses the sugar to spin snowflakes for the upcoming winter. (We do this the night of Halloween and there's no more candy. They get 10 pieces each. This year Rosie and Isaiah didn't even make it through their 10 before choosing to stop due to feeling sick. John Paul, on the other hand, ate all his and had a wild night.)<br />
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2) Remember that <span style="font-size: large;"><em>Vitamin C</em></span> you stocked up on after reading my last post on whooping cough? Utilize it. You might not believe Vitamin C therapy is for real- bully for you. But I've seen it work too many times to scoff. I don't use high levels of Vitamin C on a regular basis, but in high-stress situations, I don't hesitate. ("Holiday diets," ie moose tracks, candy canes, and sugar cookies, are a nutritional stress on your body and its reaction is the same as to any stress: increased need for Vitamin C and increased production of stress hormones.) The protocol is simple. Take it and give it to your little people until you see loose stools, then back off a bit. A gram is plenty to start with for wee ones; increase from there. An adult under stress might need 10 grams or more before seeing loose stools.<br />
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3) Take your own <span style="font-size: large;"><em>homemade dessert</em></span> to any and all functions you attend between October and January. <strong>Apple Crisp </strong>is my little people's favorite. Some all natural "soy whip" might be in order if I need to distract them from the mountains of brightly-colored crap also on the table. (Recipe forthcoming, <em>io prometto.</em>) Worst case scenario, you didn't bring your own dessert, eat a big healthy meal before you eat 1 or 2 servings of your FAVORITE THING- cheesecake or death by chocolate in my case. Carry mint tea bags or really strong peppermints or brush your teeth after that to help you limit your sweet intake. <br />
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4) <span style="font-size: large;"><em>Herbs and vitamins. </em></span><span style="font-size: small;">In a perfect world, all our nutrition would come through our totally balanced, mostly raw, fruit-and-veggie-ful diet. In the real world, we need an insurance policy for 'sugar season.' That's why I'm extra careful with vitamins and herbs during the winter months. And there are, apparantly, a plethora of winter months up here in Nebraska. *Sigh*.</span><br />
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Come back by tomorrow and I'll have a list of my favorite ready-made herbal and vitamin products up for you. That is, those of you who procrastinated and didn't make up multiple batches of elderberry syrup and rasperry-licorice-cinnamon tincture!<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"<span class="st"><span class="ft">Buddy: We <strong>elves</strong> try to stick to the four main <strong>food groups</strong>: candy, <strong>candy canes</strong>, candy corns, and syrup!"</span></span></span></em><br />
<span class="st"><span class="ft"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">-Elf, the movie</span></em></span></span>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-85616399885363116342012-10-25T21:42:00.000-05:002012-10-25T21:49:09.240-05:00Pertussis and Vitamin CWell, this week I'm a-dither again over pertussis. Omaha has a high incidence at the current time, including cases at schools within a mile of our home. Our family has been blessed, yet a third time, with exceptional health care providers who are interested and open to alternatives to allopathic (standard Western pharmeceutical) treatment of health issues. <br />
<br />
I was freaking out this week because my kids all contracted some really nasty virus involving spiking fevers and a <em>whooping</em> cough. But not <strong>whooping cough</strong>. Thank the Lord.<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, I came across this article:<br />
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC536087/pdf/canmedaj00183-0060.pdf">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC536087/pdf/canmedaj00183-0060.pdf</a><br />
<br />
Naturally, this article will be received by many with great skepticism. However, I am very interested in medical journals from about 1880 through about 1940 because they represent the <em>end </em>of the accumulation of alternative medical wisdom in Western medicine. At the time, of course, it wasn't alternative, and most medicines were made in-house by 'chemists', aka pharmacists. Most medicines were made from natural substances, aka plants. While ascorbic acid is not (the subject of the article), neither is ascorbic acid a pharmeceutical.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, in the thirties and forties, medicine became big business, homeopathic information was yanked from medical textbooks, and pharmacists became pill dispensers instead of pill MAKERs. In the 1970s, Adelle Davis (nutritionist, writer and medical researcher), tried to find out why a reputable study on vitamion C for the common cold was refused publication, she was told by the editor of a big-time medical journal that he'd be run out of business if he dared print information on a cheap, readily available treatment for the common cold.<br />
<br />
Personally, I have used the technique described in the article (I thought I made up the term "Vitamin C loading", but maybe not?). It's a fascinating phenomenon. On a regular day my body only absorbs about 3 grams of Vitamin C, but as soon as I'm ill I can take 10-12 grams before reaching tolerance. (As described in the article, you find out how much your body can absorb by noting when your bowels get loose, then you back off a gram or two the next day.)<br />
<br />
Once, when I was pregnant with Rosie, I had a terrible virus and my temperature kept creeping up till it was hanging out around 104- not a pretty picture with a 20 week old baby in utero. Under my doctor and midwife's directions, I took 25 <em>grams</em> of Vitamin C per day for 5 days straight to fight the infection. It also kept that fever down in a safer range. If you think this all sounds like nonsense, go ahead, take 12 grams of Vitamin C and see what happens! Then take 12 grams of Vitamin C when you have a cold and see what heppens. (Actually, don't do that. You need to have a small amount of Vitamin C supplemented every day when you feel fine for it to work well without messing up your system when you are sick.)<br />
<br />
If this still all sounds ridiculous to you, consider that many mammals, rats for one, make their own Vitamin C. They don't need to get it from thier diet. When rats are stressed or sick, they make about 20 times more Vitamin C as usual. Don't take my word for any of this, though. By all means, find somewhere to read about it for yourself.<br />
<br />
And ya, google is fine. I recently had a doctor friend confide in me that he uses google about equally as he uses the books lining his office wall. Go figure.<br />
<br />
Ok, that was longer than intended. I'm off to bottle a fresh quart of elderberry syrup for my scratchy little throats upstairs.<br />
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<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Half the modern drugs could well be thrown out the window except that the birds might eat them. ~Martin H. Fischer, Fischerisms</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In the 1960s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal. ~Author Unknown</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I don't like people who take drugs. Customs agents, for example. ~Author Unknown</span></em><br />
<br />Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-40476393441002483822012-10-15T23:15:00.001-05:002012-10-15T23:21:31.055-05:00Pinkalicious PieAnother dessert, a cream cheese pie, ready in a few minutes, plus a few in the freezer. A dairy-licious trecipe for my many friends who eat dairy. Everyone loved this pie. Loved it so much we had to nickname it. (Pinkalicious Pie. Pinkalicious. Ugh. I hate that book.) <br />
<br />
It made us all sick. Really sick. We all have dairy allergies. But hey, sometimes you crave cream cheese and you have to live a little... and accept the consequences!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Pinkalicious Pie</u></strong><br />
1 block cream cheese ( you can substitute extra soft silken tofu PLUS 1 oz coconut oil), room temp<br />
1 bag frozen berry blend, 12 -16 oz., room temp<br />
1/4c raw honey, or to taste<br />
1T fresh lemon juice (DO NOT skip the lemon juice if you make the tofu version!!!)<br />
1 crust (gluten-free, spelt, granola, or regular graham cracker from the store)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKEpJKKy-9JZWpGGQqJ2Ezm7sIPgFgs9rtZ8ifJ4vIiUgI4Gr_aouWCjnN0mhIvy4x1a2_B-_d4uVQwzYWLwE8pDHdhBR4PTPrgThKEwfAFjhRwBKLsBkzRibjTPgMVcwJikNXbMtyM0/s1600/floor+and+econobum+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKEpJKKy-9JZWpGGQqJ2Ezm7sIPgFgs9rtZ8ifJ4vIiUgI4Gr_aouWCjnN0mhIvy4x1a2_B-_d4uVQwzYWLwE8pDHdhBR4PTPrgThKEwfAFjhRwBKLsBkzRibjTPgMVcwJikNXbMtyM0/s400/floor+and+econobum+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Blend first 3 ingredients and pour into your crust. <br />
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Freeze until set, or freeze as long as needed and partially thaw before serving.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MFClBj1V_B-iPxBHSCk27IFacinlWPG2IH2ocYtg0XXjKQ1qpQMYvbnlb7q4rCHqGXXnTUCsK73Luu5OZQU-1xdTQHGi06llGrKT10-r5aj5xpkFyEWEu-1F0991nAQYXZZQCH-cgL0/s1600/floor+and+econobum+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MFClBj1V_B-iPxBHSCk27IFacinlWPG2IH2ocYtg0XXjKQ1qpQMYvbnlb7q4rCHqGXXnTUCsK73Luu5OZQU-1xdTQHGi06llGrKT10-r5aj5xpkFyEWEu-1F0991nAQYXZZQCH-cgL0/s320/floor+and+econobum+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yum. Ed has asked me to make it again, but next time I'll slip him the tofu version. Still yum, but I can admit... there'll never be any real substitute for cream cheese.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em><strong>"Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead." </strong></em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>~Scottish Proverb</strong></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"Use your health, even to the point of wearing it out. That is what it is for. Spend all you have before you die; do not outlive yourself."</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~George Bernard Shaw</span></em>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-30301096177395857012012-10-11T11:19:00.000-05:002012-10-11T11:24:14.025-05:00Guiltless Peanut Butter CupsWell, BreadwithHoney did another little disappearing act, didn't we now?<br />
<br />
I know you've all been on the edge of your seats, chewing your finger nails, desperate for a recipe, an anecdote, a book review. I know I mean so much to you... who elase can you count on to get you all excited about vegetables?<br />
<br />
You need me.<br />
<br />
But sorry, dear reader, no veggies will you find here today. Now, you <em>could</em> sneak some freeze-dried kale or some Trader Joe's Greens powder into this recipe. You could. And I'm the sort of person who does that.<br />
<br />
But this recipe has become kind of sacred to my post-partum self. So I refuse to screw up the indulgence trying to make it healthier. And ask my husband- I ruin a lot of good food that way. All in the name of recipe development, of course. But still, I've forced a lot of green meatloaf on my family. So the least I can do is offer the occasional, unmitigated, healthy <em>and</em> delicious treat.<br />
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It's not my recipe; my sister Christine invented it- <em>thanks, Teen</em>. So hats off to her, because it has prevented me from grabbing and devouring entire cheesecakes in my currently stressed, sleep-deprived, postpartum state. Technically this can be a 'paleo' recipe, which is good for indulging without adding to the remaining belly flab, but all the same, I'm pretty sure our ancient ancestors had other things on their mind than gourmet desserts. Paleo. Sorry, it's a joke, folks. A tasty, but silly, diet trend. <em>Ahem. Moving on.</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Guiltless Peanut Butter Cups</u></strong><br />
No exact measurements here, but:<br />
a scoop of coconut oil<br />
a slightly larger scoop of peanut or almond butter (peanut butter is technically non-paleo, if you care)<br />
1-3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (raw cacao powder is MUCH MORE nutritious than dutched cocoa powder form the grocery store, fyi) make it as dark as you like<br />
sweetener to taste (maple sugar or syrup, raw honey, agave, stevia powder or liquid)<br />
<br />
Gently melt all that if your coconut oil is solid, or just mix well if it is liquid.<br />
<br />
Add:<br />
shredded, unsweetened coconut<br />
rolled oats (not paleo)<br />
sunflower seeds<br />
etc.<br />
to make the mixture moderatelt stiff- just eyeball this- coconut is divine, oatmeal will make it more cookie-ish, sunflower seeds make it really crunchy<br />
<br />
Spoon into muffin cups and freeze till set. <br />
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Sorry for the crappy picture, but I think you get the delicious idea, right? Start to finish in about 10 minutes.</div>
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Talk about instant gratification.</div>
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(Mentally insert cute pics here of my big kids smiling with chocolate smeared all over their faces, ok?)</div>
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And the real reason for my recent absence from the web:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEdlcbKekRWhGKvSNtMmdTsk60hBBxJlFY7XEBGt0-_pPS8IB7_HjxXm_Tf4kg_PBLByBDT7uDonKrbPRrRaGZU3qUbHpc7F8SPZic5gyR4-KXbTxrJFtQm498rcT9jCbZUL_MIgq620/s1600/ivy+smiles+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEdlcbKekRWhGKvSNtMmdTsk60hBBxJlFY7XEBGt0-_pPS8IB7_HjxXm_Tf4kg_PBLByBDT7uDonKrbPRrRaGZU3qUbHpc7F8SPZic5gyR4-KXbTxrJFtQm498rcT9jCbZUL_MIgq620/s400/ivy+smiles+022.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Yep, it's pretty much me, Ivy, and my brown chair. Snuggles, stories, chocolate, and coffee. Because you don't see sleep on that list, do you now?</div>
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This too, shall pass. And then I'll miss it. Because I'm just like that.</div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>"And though she be but little, she is fierce."</strong></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>-Shakespeare</strong></span></em></div>
Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-53648897292406940072012-09-13T12:18:00.000-05:002012-09-13T12:18:38.451-05:00Bumble-Bee Rice Krispie TreatCredit for this awesome idea goes to my mom. She spent weeks trying to come up with a bumble bee birthday cake for John Paul. Without dairy. Without wheat. Without entire jars of FD&C yellow #5 (apparently the only way to acheive a good bumbly-yellow frosting). Not sugar free, but it <em>is</em> a birthday, after all!<br />
<br />
So while this isn't a cake:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvS8W3gA555V3KfAJ4maAwTCii5VL7s6rSMzKW6MOe8l2b8cETrSFhxcQV-ywIz9faI2cKizvXrK3t_2y2nzhWs_Px0IuubIzhhIOAeRDJV08KWtvfl-46hPfP6r9dQDM0F_Gp4rLwRk/s1600/jp+2nd+bday+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvS8W3gA555V3KfAJ4maAwTCii5VL7s6rSMzKW6MOe8l2b8cETrSFhxcQV-ywIz9faI2cKizvXrK3t_2y2nzhWs_Px0IuubIzhhIOAeRDJV08KWtvfl-46hPfP6r9dQDM0F_Gp4rLwRk/s320/jp+2nd+bday+105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>it <em>is </em>a bumble bee, and for John Paul, that was the important thing.<br />
<br />
So, long story short, get <em>yer</em>self 1 box of regular, organic, gluten-free rice cereal, and one box of chocolate, organic, gluten-free rice cereal. Find <em>yer</em>self some chemical-free marshmallows. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqD8JrJrdIfN48RN61UvJGKsBtrrK6f_q7kVFc-H_TBYEqD3XnvWspyGyty1K3TbYjexGU4V7Ny8iahWd5dtBTGzhZU0_sN7XmMz227EEX0aOnFUUUX2-Rgw6081wkCiGFH-ZpXVUqK8g/s1600/jp+2nd+bday+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqD8JrJrdIfN48RN61UvJGKsBtrrK6f_q7kVFc-H_TBYEqD3XnvWspyGyty1K3TbYjexGU4V7Ny8iahWd5dtBTGzhZU0_sN7XmMz227EEX0aOnFUUUX2-Rgw6081wkCiGFH-ZpXVUqK8g/s320/jp+2nd+bday+074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Substitute coconut oil for the butter. Our chocolate rice cereal wasn't very brown, so I added about 1/2 cup cocoa powder for better color.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdMbOFlskQW6imdTKHy5IEBKblA-11AhJqhdUrJZZ1qWiNI6n31R0SARDaB1qy-oLIrHvEoEeip8dFD-I_fEYMV1DHGz-GIJRcUJMAed_XxDdhxxdgt7hgUPhtjI5xotZKcxCBWz5uqs/s1600/jp+2nd+bday+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdMbOFlskQW6imdTKHy5IEBKblA-11AhJqhdUrJZZ1qWiNI6n31R0SARDaB1qy-oLIrHvEoEeip8dFD-I_fEYMV1DHGz-GIJRcUJMAed_XxDdhxxdgt7hgUPhtjI5xotZKcxCBWz5uqs/s320/jp+2nd+bday+076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We formed the body in my oval crockpot crock. The wings we formed in a Pyrex pie plate; the head and stinger, in a smaller Pyrex bowl. (All well-oiled with coconut oil.) Cut the wing circle in half and shape it a bit. Slice a bit of the head circle off for the stinger. <br />
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Very easy. Very bee-ish.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwodjHiA0AJyOPe9kIym5OkCBUhyphenhyphen5mg7mA3jfS6w4I8OTr4esHv86Mzfh5yQuxA5XAP98638iyDU9VZ_ePDeRmHWc3VfHrNJULdw4jWogfqYd82sHBMpuZ5CjVukrlgPfxnczkznXLtM/s1600/jp+2nd+bday+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwodjHiA0AJyOPe9kIym5OkCBUhyphenhyphen5mg7mA3jfS6w4I8OTr4esHv86Mzfh5yQuxA5XAP98638iyDU9VZ_ePDeRmHWc3VfHrNJULdw4jWogfqYd82sHBMpuZ5CjVukrlgPfxnczkznXLtM/s320/jp+2nd+bday+116.JPG" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">HAPPY #3 JOHN PAUL!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginLh-dDy_u4JPM7sTGxdkc6TCd1mkcSZA1B_zr1dkOcCCS5ckjMqTERRaJ5a9iqVaS7sDphwxAf_Tz0b6kKdzGY8npCYjru7ry5UE05jVJ5QMzn3aHslnUTsmpmB9ygzZC0azo-GftT0/s1600/jp+2nd+bday+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginLh-dDy_u4JPM7sTGxdkc6TCd1mkcSZA1B_zr1dkOcCCS5ckjMqTERRaJ5a9iqVaS7sDphwxAf_Tz0b6kKdzGY8npCYjru7ry5UE05jVJ5QMzn3aHslnUTsmpmB9ygzZC0azo-GftT0/s320/jp+2nd+bday+108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Desmond Tutu</span><!--PIH--></em>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-78588100665650927392012-09-06T09:00:00.000-05:002012-09-06T09:00:08.451-05:00Baby Stuff Brag Post #4: Ivy's DiapersEverybody poops. They've written books about it:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/192913214X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=192913214X&linkCode=as2&tag=breadwi-20">Everyone Poops </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breadwi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=192913214X" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div>
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Excellent book for big brothers and sisters with a baby in the house, when said baby is doing it every hour or so. My sister-in-law used to keep this book decoratively displayed on her guest toilet.</div>
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As I mentioned in my last post, I detest plastic diapers. Detest, detest,<span style="font-size: large;"> detest.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I tried to use some newborn diapers on Ivy (fancy chlorine-free ones someone gave me), but her sensitive newborn skin couldn't handle it. Plus, she's a heavy wetter and leaked outta those things in a single pee. </span></div>
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Luckily, we've got the cotton.</div>
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Here are some of Ivy's cloth diapers:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVAkTbvIw49jGLBZ_ezuJszkXp70KKN4C3S4Xw5WlCOSBpU57dus3AwiKPLYQKtXJIPj6y0T8F-qKY74GZJw36rxB17HiXgOZn4v8taZCFwUp0a-yjZpNJOXBkvApCq3gOEPb3gxPs7g/s1600/diapers+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVAkTbvIw49jGLBZ_ezuJszkXp70KKN4C3S4Xw5WlCOSBpU57dus3AwiKPLYQKtXJIPj6y0T8F-qKY74GZJw36rxB17HiXgOZn4v8taZCFwUp0a-yjZpNJOXBkvApCq3gOEPb3gxPs7g/s320/diapers+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are my favorite diapers, <a href="http://newconceptions.com/poopockets.htm" target="_blank">PooPockets</a>. Dorky name, great pattern. They fit from about 8 lbs up through potty learning, depending on the build of the baby. Recently I tried one on Johnny for fun, and it fit. (Just barely.) An older baby or toddler will need a lay-in doubler for extra absorbancy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJve9bRCwApy7rvs5pueYL3v7XextYcy2K7TLSxNyGCboWNPP4FoUR2ZEyJJtQ_FIScSRdI9pDcWtTJFy9r5c2kyEfgj4udGUgiAdeyaC2P7_z1ztcwXAywtfsWN6EqqFQ1T9-QKPtxgo/s1600/yarn+dipe+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJve9bRCwApy7rvs5pueYL3v7XextYcy2K7TLSxNyGCboWNPP4FoUR2ZEyJJtQ_FIScSRdI9pDcWtTJFy9r5c2kyEfgj4udGUgiAdeyaC2P7_z1ztcwXAywtfsWN6EqqFQ1T9-QKPtxgo/s320/yarn+dipe+008.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Ivy has some random diapers to make it to laundry day, but these organic hemp/ cotton PooPockets are my fave. I have more cut out and I'm hoping to get them sewn up soon.</div>
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See the squishy softness of the velour?</div>
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Some PooPockets made from birdseye that belonged to Rosie and John Paul:</div>
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These have been loaned to other mums several times, but they still work.</div>
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Some others, made from recycled turtlenecks, with snaps added:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATRFfo35E5itBEaDYHS4eDY-uDPlDaP8GzHmeDi8YXH417UFDiG68oKDTIVhyphenhyphenLIt29DgEJddWaS_DjvJ53eqGhyphenhyphenZpY28Wpitgi8lF2ub3sIpjMvJRes_7rjMxQGRee5yV8zk295sop-Q/s1600/diapers+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATRFfo35E5itBEaDYHS4eDY-uDPlDaP8GzHmeDi8YXH417UFDiG68oKDTIVhyphenhyphenLIt29DgEJddWaS_DjvJ53eqGhyphenhyphenZpY28Wpitgi8lF2ub3sIpjMvJRes_7rjMxQGRee5yV8zk295sop-Q/s400/diapers+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you don't sew, prefold diapers are the most economical way to cloth diaper. They are super if you want to use PUL (polyurethane-laminate) covers:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSX-KAucnSH3Gjf_lcvPKEIWvEP2wyuvJx3-C3CQzYbYlMrG-nsMLcJtGU7yZCekRxasmFZPT3SzZQibekFilcO4y1QAZ-uLyrl_gLy231g-4oEYnOetrZekgfmhtMYrgOndj35O5MUo/s1600/yarn+dipe+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSX-KAucnSH3Gjf_lcvPKEIWvEP2wyuvJx3-C3CQzYbYlMrG-nsMLcJtGU7yZCekRxasmFZPT3SzZQibekFilcO4y1QAZ-uLyrl_gLy231g-4oEYnOetrZekgfmhtMYrgOndj35O5MUo/s320/yarn+dipe+004.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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For using beneath wool covers, you'll need to use a Snappi or pins:</div>
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This is tricky at first, but eventually you get good at it and (usually) you can keep poop off your wool covers. While you <em>can </em>sew your own prefolds, it usually works out more cheaply to buy them. Unless you have tons of flannel in your fabric stash, or you want to use a luxury fabric like hemp fleece or cotton velour, in which case, sew away!<br />
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<em>"<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular." </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Kathy Norris</span></em></div>
Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-17682012233671947572012-09-05T16:45:00.000-05:002012-09-05T16:45:00.642-05:00Baby Stuff Brag Post #3: Ivy's SoakersCrunchy Mom Confession:<br />
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I have a cloth diaper fetish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAr0BGTPkd0fatI5pZYfxbO0gYpXgqQgCerDxQNm9-aG5grpzw2ycLphwlQyME966V3deePMOGc3YLe-Y2tRIOOvJJBMWFm9oa157skdYU6Ul2eoo0j8dKH1jSf-1ZnATJWbt0JuFStzE/s1600/diapers+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAr0BGTPkd0fatI5pZYfxbO0gYpXgqQgCerDxQNm9-aG5grpzw2ycLphwlQyME966V3deePMOGc3YLe-Y2tRIOOvJJBMWFm9oa157skdYU6Ul2eoo0j8dKH1jSf-1ZnATJWbt0JuFStzE/s320/diapers+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love cloth diapers. Love, love, <span style="font-size: large;">love</span>. I hate disposable diapers. Every time I give birth and sleep on a chux pad my hatred only increases. Ugh! So hot and sweaty and plastic-y. I'd much rather use a plain cotton towel, and I'm pretty sure plain cotton is more comfy for a baby's bum than plastic and polymer gel diapers, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoreVgrKn004eD4StwHx_fRuJmFHt2yOHumoMZnDP7_84ral-Pa-hgHmn1x-z7hvq4TWrG5LZbFz0I0WMFUvQ7oPtabEdlNvRGp7lRUhj_E1ja2ry_RiFzU6ACIs_LrRxiO0Zus2vfIlk/s1600/diapers+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoreVgrKn004eD4StwHx_fRuJmFHt2yOHumoMZnDP7_84ral-Pa-hgHmn1x-z7hvq4TWrG5LZbFz0I0WMFUvQ7oPtabEdlNvRGp7lRUhj_E1ja2ry_RiFzU6ACIs_LrRxiO0Zus2vfIlk/s320/diapers+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Deeper in crunch land... you can avoid even putting poly or vinyl covers over your cloth diapers by using wool covers (generally referred to as wool soakers) instead. Just like our great-grandmas did, before the invention of polyester fabrics. Wool is super-soft, if you pick the right wool, and water-resistant (but not water- PROOF), so it works just the same way as those plastic-y covers. As a bonus, if you make your own wool soakers, they will cost you almost nothing. <br />
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Wool sweaters for sewn wool soakers can be found for $1 at thrift shops. If you find wool sweaters with holes, you can get the store to give them to you for a quarter or so. I got a pumpkin cashmere sweater for free that way. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, cashmere. If you knit or crochet, the cost of your cover will be determined by the price of your yarn. You can find soft wool yarn pretty inexpensively, but if you buy fancy yarn, your covers can get pricey quickly. I use Cascade 220, 100purewool, or Lion's Fisherman (the latter is not super-soft, but the more often you wash and lanolinize it, the softer it gets).<br />
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For sewn soakers, I use the <a href="http://hyenacart.com/wiredupdesigns/mt/527/74762/Sweet-Baby-Soakers-Skirties-Pattern-PDF-Version" target="_blank">Sweet Baby Soaker Pattern by Wired Up Designs</a>. There are many free patterns online, but the Sweet Baby pattern is really the best, and I've tried 'em all! My favorite is a double layer cashmere soaker. You need 2 layers for cashmere; 1 will not be enough. Cashmere doesn't shrink or felt and is machine washable. My next favorite is rib-knit merino. Also hard to shrink, but it will felt. Depending on the thickness, sometimes 1 layer is sufficient. Rib knit will stretch a ton, too, as baby grows.<br />
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Here are some of Ivy's sewn soakers:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBOwOmiVUarT7jDsMU44Lw1ued4e-10hBHOmbBwYdHuYtDXA9qzUYn4B3QdiogS9gXz4ubTES_AFGgh75zGUCerIrg74i9oQsCGHU_a4ChVVioFWazG8r29B1gyloAK6TxqT-t4unPyg/s1600/diapers+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBOwOmiVUarT7jDsMU44Lw1ued4e-10hBHOmbBwYdHuYtDXA9qzUYn4B3QdiogS9gXz4ubTES_AFGgh75zGUCerIrg74i9oQsCGHU_a4ChVVioFWazG8r29B1gyloAK6TxqT-t4unPyg/s320/diapers+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">four cashmere and two lambswool stripe</td></tr>
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Lots of these were handed down from John Paul and Rose. Wool lasts forever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqseMQTGKe0763ZcwW5Gv2x-2ErxDYsUtrQXdF6zU-TWcvvgb4F07QdWWhy4SwNfha1uinNdrDscMhEYuflpugiJMaGfNKNDuv-wnczU3yMqx77YA1IvmoapgAxHNm-dQ8-NUMD18i1bY/s1600/diapers+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqseMQTGKe0763ZcwW5Gv2x-2ErxDYsUtrQXdF6zU-TWcvvgb4F07QdWWhy4SwNfha1uinNdrDscMhEYuflpugiJMaGfNKNDuv-wnczU3yMqx77YA1IvmoapgAxHNm-dQ8-NUMD18i1bY/s320/diapers+011.JPG" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two cashmere and a lambswool stripe</td></tr>
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If you use the Sweet Baby pattern, you don't need anything but sz small and medium, unless you expect a 6 lb baby or your babies get enornously fat. (No, she isn't paying me for this review!) Don't forget to make pants from your leftover sweater sleeves:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62BVTPbEQI6ASjsPwjriKHWzGkHDCwNzG8l7-vc6uSjsjm0RyCXkKPAwkT3jYCVYj87AaTbagY5a6iB9uR2oPLMRaSfHlr8vpoiD4cT-AC7XM4J6HaY96NxhhbP4IDgAMwVnYLJHt3o8/s1600/diapers+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62BVTPbEQI6ASjsPwjriKHWzGkHDCwNzG8l7-vc6uSjsjm0RyCXkKPAwkT3jYCVYj87AaTbagY5a6iB9uR2oPLMRaSfHlr8vpoiD4cT-AC7XM4J6HaY96NxhhbP4IDgAMwVnYLJHt3o8/s320/diapers+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google for a trillion tutorials for these sleeve-pants</td></tr>
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You can't handle the cuteness:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvzF3KRCI-JeF-pSb-jQRDSAFC9Cm3hP8orzXgt1kfZvQMiJWcmHwCjZgJgce32n1Z0sc4vk4VDHP532hrzrG5NRUyodth1we4y-45GHen7JpDS6bqemfz_uwkPFMtfaGqDIziu7efx0/s1600/diapers+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvzF3KRCI-JeF-pSb-jQRDSAFC9Cm3hP8orzXgt1kfZvQMiJWcmHwCjZgJgce32n1Z0sc4vk4VDHP532hrzrG5NRUyodth1we4y-45GHen7JpDS6bqemfz_uwkPFMtfaGqDIziu7efx0/s320/diapers+024.JPG" width="226" /></a></div>
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My favorite knit soaker pattern is <a href="http://www.curlypurly.com/curlypurly.com/Free_Pattern_Downloads.html" target="_blank">The Curly Purly Soaker Pattern</a>. Knits up quickly, and requires no bulky waist drawstring to stay on. This is major, as many knitted soakers fit poorly under regular clothes due to the waist drawstring issue. It's free, too! (Donations accepted.) <br />
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Curly Purlys:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhzsxqCxxhlseWyWMXbwvmYfrMVikkxAcDq1A0-0Ewne8C3BBKabrAB-OHuDvRbF9KrcWdAZpNBUAcOsLHWtP57VCcWLldHQo83Q2ScV2yavuDez7lBNHXnm-543DSgPk2luA1H2wQGo/s1600/diapers+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhzsxqCxxhlseWyWMXbwvmYfrMVikkxAcDq1A0-0Ewne8C3BBKabrAB-OHuDvRbF9KrcWdAZpNBUAcOsLHWtP57VCcWLldHQo83Q2ScV2yavuDez7lBNHXnm-543DSgPk2luA1H2wQGo/s320/diapers+012.JPG" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">four in hand-dyed Lion's Fisherman and a 100purewool merino</td></tr>
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On the needles:<br />
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Another awesome knit pattern is for a wrap-style soaker. Also free, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/whw-plain-wrap" target="_blank">Warm Heart Woolies' Plain Wrap</a> is the only diaper cover my husband has ever requested more of. It's fantastic. Particularly nice for newborn frog legs that are tricky to maneuver into soaker leg holes.<br />
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A couple of Ivy's wraps:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HAst00c5Q4yIgCv-pM2xwFwucjG8YMZVFfWeNX_gZEvRxbX4ca_HsBUf277NT01pnx-92190TEtJWSvJXMZpWnHeFhxPluQYYHi6V0LyxRgsgPK-GYR_jqinfqFMeNJy3wca8Vel40U/s1600/diapers+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HAst00c5Q4yIgCv-pM2xwFwucjG8YMZVFfWeNX_gZEvRxbX4ca_HsBUf277NT01pnx-92190TEtJWSvJXMZpWnHeFhxPluQYYHi6V0LyxRgsgPK-GYR_jqinfqFMeNJy3wca8Vel40U/s320/diapers+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">both in hand-dyed Lion's Fisherman</td></tr>
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Need to make more of these!<br />
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I realize my wool stash makes me look like I have no life outside of wool-crafting, but do remember that some of these woolies have been handed down through 3 little people, and all 4 of these patterns are fast to make. The sewn soakers and pants take less than 1/2 hour each after you get to know the patterns, and the knit patterns are also very quick and easy, as far as knitting goes.<br />
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And guess what? All the covers photographed on this page cost less than $20 in materials (plus the pattern) to make!<br />
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I won't go in to cleaning and care of wool diaper covers only because there are 7 million other blog posts out there on how to do it, so happy Google-ing.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"What is a home without children? Quiet." </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Henny Youngman</span><!--FCN--></em>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-14604034772373670652012-09-04T15:15:00.000-05:002012-09-04T15:15:00.351-05:00Baby Stuff Brag Post #2: Ivy's SlingWill baby innovations never cease?<br />
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I doubt it.<br />
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I discovered this new sling style during Ivy's incubation. Very impressive, it is basically a wrap that you don't have to wrap! What? Take a look:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUVoU-4c4mkg1_oJd2PRUig57-yUeSbWQlNZ3xX0uBFjOKFtnbn6EjMhhkSS4BENtPSq4dNJ_YNbdcEn3qZhwiycLqwqkqaU6beA-GjHaCMZZhw2NGUoAyBA8ZuM27KTMPZiV9v4t5qo/s1600/sling+hammock+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUVoU-4c4mkg1_oJd2PRUig57-yUeSbWQlNZ3xX0uBFjOKFtnbn6EjMhhkSS4BENtPSq4dNJ_YNbdcEn3qZhwiycLqwqkqaU6beA-GjHaCMZZhw2NGUoAyBA8ZuM27KTMPZiV9v4t5qo/s400/sling+hammock+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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See? The 2 loops imitate the wrapped criss-cross, and the sash is your last wrap. (You'll understand if you've ever used a wrap; if not, have no fear, you'll understand in a minnute.)<br />
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Slip 1 loop over easch shoulder. See my wonky pic:<br />
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Baby goes in the cross on front:<br />
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This is plenty of support for Ivy. She is really snug in there and goes right to sleep every time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZF6WJGeQ3isXo13N9P8s0Xbw67afuG9yq0HP6yKJ-BgOLTVxL_HxRhUrLhyvkjM2b5-LJD6yqNkP6aGzmYOoo_mEoiC7PoEcWD-8Eo-ji9bbBy4zHKEhzg0Ebb7CLockR5bGGj7tKOA/s1600/sling+hammock+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZF6WJGeQ3isXo13N9P8s0Xbw67afuG9yq0HP6yKJ-BgOLTVxL_HxRhUrLhyvkjM2b5-LJD6yqNkP6aGzmYOoo_mEoiC7PoEcWD-8Eo-ji9bbBy4zHKEhzg0Ebb7CLockR5bGGj7tKOA/s400/sling+hammock+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Add the sash for extra support for a heavier baby, or for longer wear, like hiking. Ivy's head is tucked into the fabric in the above pic because she is sleeping. It works wonderfully. Doesn't hide postpartum flab or anything, but *sigh* nothing does.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvyBD_tFtIo1CK9b5DmQBDCGGT1eLkuUdS2pw08IBJYumnvQGgKSwstcYmqzNAnQ5suAz2altAKVlgZrURKCQhqTlguHtSIAyx9KRLJgiERzCsKXyeSEcNXKZgHnC1S2X84fojwtSqT0/s1600/sling+hammock+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvyBD_tFtIo1CK9b5DmQBDCGGT1eLkuUdS2pw08IBJYumnvQGgKSwstcYmqzNAnQ5suAz2altAKVlgZrURKCQhqTlguHtSIAyx9KRLJgiERzCsKXyeSEcNXKZgHnC1S2X84fojwtSqT0/s320/sling+hammock+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back with sash added</td></tr>
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I think this looks tidier than a wrap. It supports better than a pouch or ring sling. It's way easy to put on. And it supports as well as my beloved Ergo (though probably not for a toddler). I even wore John Paul in it a few times while immensely preggo. The make of the sling is 'Baby K'Tan' and you can find videos at <a href="http://www.babyktan.com/">www.babyktan.com</a> with different positions for wearing. I gave on of these as a baby gift and the mom, a baby-wearing drop-out, says she actually uses and loves it.<br />
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This carrier cost $12. The fabric is a 60% cotton, 40% poly interlock from JoAnn Fabric. You could get 100% cotton interlock or jersey from <a href="http://www.naturesfabric.com/">www.naturesfabric.com</a>, but I was in a hurry and also feeling quite cheap. My sash fabric:<br />
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was just a scrap from my stash.<br />
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I made it up because I couldn't find my box with my baby carriers in it after Ivy was born! Also, for the record, I sewed the entire thing during the previews of The Hunger Games. So, in other words, about 9 minutes.<br />
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<a href="http://thecraftymamablog.blogspot.com/2011/05/homemade-baby-ktan.html" target="_blank">Click here for carrier directions!</a></div>
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Happy babywearing!!!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"The world is as many times new as there are children in our lives." </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>~Robert Brault</em></span></div>
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Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-2991191380640363372012-09-03T14:21:00.000-05:002012-09-03T14:30:26.873-05:00Baby Stuff Brag Post #1: Ivy's Hammock<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baby hammocks are widely used in South America and Mexico, as well as parts of Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most familiar American version is the Amby Baby Motion Bed, which unfortunately was poorly designed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was recalled a few years ago and now baby hammocks are seen as dangerous in the States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too bad, because baby hammocks rock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiTL6Z7GIZEnpTblh_4dBk-QyfuDFjvvoWhBhptC9XPGNscrYT9B02t-KtxrgoPaaQAGAkaF43JAjdHk6czW0QFb7KiPuxIZPEXdTiV1oc7SY2B1vIyeb9IfPH_ZErgwxzgXFHdpUDEc/s1600/IVY2-4WEEKS+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiTL6Z7GIZEnpTblh_4dBk-QyfuDFjvvoWhBhptC9XPGNscrYT9B02t-KtxrgoPaaQAGAkaF43JAjdHk6czW0QFb7KiPuxIZPEXdTiV1oc7SY2B1vIyeb9IfPH_ZErgwxzgXFHdpUDEc/s400/IVY2-4WEEKS+033.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I first heard of babies sleeping in hammocks when Isaiah was a baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read an article on indigenous baby care written by a missionary family in rural Venezuela, where all babies slept in crocheted hammocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Mexican mother-in-law was pleased to see the hammock in our living room; she has fond memories of baby cousins hanging in sheets from kitchen ceilings while their mamas cooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My two friends who use/ used the Amby hammock with fussy babies were completely unphased by the safety recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both got their replacement parts, but wouldn’t stop using the hammocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How else am I going to sleep?!” one snapped when her husband questioned her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bed moves in response to any movement baby makes, which in theory will sooth baby back to sleep before he or she fully wakens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, because the hammock moves up and down, side to side, and forward and back all at once, really fussy babies who need constant stimulating movement like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The plan was to purchase a hammock if we ended up with another fussy baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Both JP and Rosemary were all-day-and-up-till- 3-am screamers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my biggest fears during this pregnancy was the possibility of another baby screaming several hours a day for 8 months on end.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I saw how expensive baby hammocks are, I decided to make one up ahead of time, just in case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite simple, and only cost around $40.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are the directions for the construction of the sling:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="http://karynforyou.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/make-your-own-baby-hammock/">http://karynforyou.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/make-your-own-baby-hammock/</a></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember that 1 meter is really about 1 1/10 yards , so buy 3 and 1/3 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NEXT, do NOT buy plain muslin or calico for this, as the Canadian directions suggest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American muslin and calico are weak, plain-weave fabrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <em>double-boiled</em> muslin used in Australia is a MUCH STRONGER fabric than the version available in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, use any fabric suitable for sling-making: shirting, medium or heavy linen, lightweight denim or twill, or batik.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A 40-45 inch wide fabric with nice-looking selvages is ideal, otherwise you’ll need to hem the fabric edges to this width.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I used batik.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure your batik is DYED not STAMPED.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2 are constructed differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dyed batik will look the same on both sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stamped batik will have one side that is obviously the “wrong” side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a weaker fabric so avoid it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t forget your 40% off coupon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should be able to get your length of fabric for under $20 that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, be sure to read through the directions at least 27 times before beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is simple, but confusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BE SURE you understand what you’re doing before cutting and sewing, or else you’ll be doing a lot of seam ripping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Close-up of the easy-to-sew but hard-to-explain envelope folded end:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCFtqr-azVtNgfdxEX9PoXuCZPknaOFIVbfKxjtvmxr9-kT3XEqntJUjgqhg1i_zYuGNgX8cBB5pkry15f-Cos4E-S1L_o1ZfnibeOniDeJ1CcGVTXsiONjSsIKdW9yd9_NpyhAN0fR0/s1600/sling+hammock+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCFtqr-azVtNgfdxEX9PoXuCZPknaOFIVbfKxjtvmxr9-kT3XEqntJUjgqhg1i_zYuGNgX8cBB5pkry15f-Cos4E-S1L_o1ZfnibeOniDeJ1CcGVTXsiONjSsIKdW9yd9_NpyhAN0fR0/s320/sling+hammock+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suggest buying REAL carabiners from a camping shop, and REAL sling rings from </span><a href="http://www.slingrings.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.slingrings.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The spring should be readily available at Lowe’s or Home Depot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ours is the one for up to 27 Kilograms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Springs for higher weights won’t have the proper give for a 10 lb baby. I sewed a cover for my spring and carabiners, for aesthetic purposes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGe5D64wX_4rktKWxheXBBfEBad-muS8B0IdgbVMYjZMU8UE1e2xBdemL2XK8_5zHaHzPOWhzPAJr_uq4n4QLChHFsHvJENnBs-CHehfhD6U6KcyZo_NgqGUSpi642aLdjSJysTCP-mk/s1600/ivy+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGe5D64wX_4rktKWxheXBBfEBad-muS8B0IdgbVMYjZMU8UE1e2xBdemL2XK8_5zHaHzPOWhzPAJr_uq4n4QLChHFsHvJENnBs-CHehfhD6U6KcyZo_NgqGUSpi642aLdjSJysTCP-mk/s400/ivy+006.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I used organic wool and cotton batting wrapped in organic birdseye fabric for my mattress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made a sheet for it out of organic hemp/ cotton fleece with snaps on the bottom to keep it in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mattress is only ¾” thick, and totally flexible for baby’s safety and comfort. QUILT THE HECK OUT OF IT! Stitches should be very close together, again, for safety and comfort.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqyX57Nz-fX1nliEWYvDZLyJPgmjN43Rqlk2MJ10BCULD4aHj1hA9PYGlc2pIMFGvakE7YoLYMexmlSQz0gZV-hI-7XRMahyphenhyphenlhOULs5CesyODanSRQE5cxnKRcoEbq332sWlc2Jm_XJ4/s1600/sling+hammock+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqyX57Nz-fX1nliEWYvDZLyJPgmjN43Rqlk2MJ10BCULD4aHj1hA9PYGlc2pIMFGvakE7YoLYMexmlSQz0gZV-hI-7XRMahyphenhyphenlhOULs5CesyODanSRQE5cxnKRcoEbq332sWlc2Jm_XJ4/s400/sling+hammock+017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pillowcase-style sheet with snaps on left, quilted mattress on right</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We constructed our frame from scrap wood and based it on the dimensions of other baby hammock frames we found online. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I recommend hanging it from a ceiling joist (like studs in the wall, but in the ceiling), on a screw-in ring also found at any hardware store. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But Ivy, tell us how you really feel:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuELgfffL6cCsFrR9NqeJf-yvoe5STcS4gZhUqdkauswPei2Zb0kdj_YDtGDMgRDuEuv-xJuxRWnq5_aivqFkClBcQ761sXHm2yAG39blZ1eqo8W54zVYoLSgO7i_8i4wtynOjBP2CAzU/s1600/IVY2-4WEEKS+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuELgfffL6cCsFrR9NqeJf-yvoe5STcS4gZhUqdkauswPei2Zb0kdj_YDtGDMgRDuEuv-xJuxRWnq5_aivqFkClBcQ761sXHm2yAG39blZ1eqo8W54zVYoLSgO7i_8i4wtynOjBP2CAzU/s400/IVY2-4WEEKS+031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All smart babies will prefer to nap in mama’s arms, or on mama's back!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> R</span>eally, Ivy naps in the hammock happily for short times during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Isaiah can bounce her in it for a bit while I shower or what have you. </span>At night we just hunker down in the family bed and zonk out because, so far, Ivy is not a fussy baby- praise God for His infinite mercy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn't act that way very often." </em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Author Unknown</span></em></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">BTW, that little turquoise square at the top of my hammock is a crib medal. The Sisters of St. Joseph in Wichita make these- for cribs, obviously, but we've never had a crib so I'm happy to find a use for it. It is a tiny miraculous medal in the center of a crocheted square to keep baby safe while she sleeps.</span> </span></div>
<o:p></o:p>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-50888100729992607132012-08-26T21:35:00.000-05:002012-08-26T21:39:33.575-05:00WAIT! I didn't know!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0F1h7AmIqF_BlKAgIZzjVOhjwkxNisATfZezhBQDCiMRUlZQFRz5dHztsp1r2l9oJa2Xg2lsNkSqvLP-MvuPTY1hngTSIEpLRlXUE_pu75IOlm3ZQoujM5j7l9s0_Qdx8Ogo8KLyiLJU/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0F1h7AmIqF_BlKAgIZzjVOhjwkxNisATfZezhBQDCiMRUlZQFRz5dHztsp1r2l9oJa2Xg2lsNkSqvLP-MvuPTY1hngTSIEpLRlXUE_pu75IOlm3ZQoujM5j7l9s0_Qdx8Ogo8KLyiLJU/s400/ivy+2nd+week+080.JPG" width="298" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivy in her hammock</td></tr>
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OK, we didn't tell anyone what we were naming Ivy. Ivy is my favorite girl name of all time. When I was a girl we had a bed of ivy in our side garden, and the little purple flowers, something like stars, were my favorite, more than any flower in my mother's amazing gardens (yes, plural... there was more than 1). It was originally intended for Rosemary (Rosie), but we took a lot of heat for it from, shall we say, various sectors, and I wanted to name a baby after my maternal grandmother, so in the end, we decided to switch our first daughter's name to from Ivy Rose to Rosemary Catherine (also due to my then-recent obsession with Catherine of Siena). <br />
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Then Rosie was born on the feast of St. Ives, which we didn't notice till she was a month old. When I told Ed, he wanted to change her name. No kidding. He was more than upset and really, so was I. But Rosie was already Rosie, and we knew another baby girl would come.<br />
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And come she did! <br />
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Since I didn't want any more guff about baby names, during the pregnancy we just didn't tell anyone our name. After all, once a baby is born and named, no one feels very free to say things like, you know:<br />
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<strong><em>"That's an awful name!"</em></strong><br />
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<strong><em>"I hate that name!"</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>"Oh, like poison ivy!?!?" </em></strong>(Ummmm, so clever, people.)<br />
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After a baby is born and named, people say politely, "O how nice," and then go talk about your baby's name behind your back. Right?<br />
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So unfortunately<br />
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<strong>NO ONE COULD WARN ME THAT BEYONCE' NAMED HER DAUGHTER IVY!!!</strong><br />
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Blue Ivy, actually. Or that Ivy is currently on a Disney Channel show, once appeared on 90210, and is also featured on some popular video game. Or that Ivy is currently in the top 100 baby names in Great Britain, according to some sources.<br />
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Well, rain on my parade why don't you. I thought people would just think I was odd, and slightly eccentric, maybe obsessed with herbs and other plant life, when I introduced 2 daughters named Rosemary and Ivy... now- horror of horrors- people are going to think I'm TRENDY.<br />
<br />
UGH.<br />
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Now every time someone asks her name I'm going to want to say "Ivy- but really, I didn't know about Beyonce' when I named her. I had the name picked out for YEARS..." while blushing and feeling really dumb.<br />
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MORAL OF THE STORY:<br />
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Don't tell anyone your baby names in advance of said baby's birth... but, <strong><em>for heaven's sake,</em></strong> don't forget to consult Google.<br />
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<em>"What's in a name? That which we call a rose<br />By any other name would smell as sweet."</em><br />
<em>-Juliet</em><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm still babymooning, but soon I'll return to my regular old blogger self... I've got some allergy remedies to share, a new cough syrup recipe, and some gluten-free recipes to share. Gluten-free recipe development is a pretty slow thing, I'm finding, so bear with me. Heaven forbid I post any recipe here before achieving 100% success. You know, gummy cookies- I just can't do that to you.</span>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-24616917222297330342012-08-18T23:50:00.000-05:002012-08-18T23:50:49.166-05:00sorry, no more entries being acceptedIvy already won Cutest Baby in the History of the World:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVeWtc-LXbxzfzx_6nN44sRLbhg6IoMHzb9P5YXPdLpmePCAwx50K5vyOs6kKilMDX-GRgKvh4vxR3ARbKcY_LnuZK9gigB8ibXmjTzCWGFIW5rpSxI1iNluoMU4XBYZXBjxr99LwDDs/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVeWtc-LXbxzfzx_6nN44sRLbhg6IoMHzb9P5YXPdLpmePCAwx50K5vyOs6kKilMDX-GRgKvh4vxR3ARbKcY_LnuZK9gigB8ibXmjTzCWGFIW5rpSxI1iNluoMU4XBYZXBjxr99LwDDs/s400/ivy+2nd+week+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnL9XGWjQQBB5xFJhysDPVJj4AjL_ms4Rx7mhem-oZsT6YQx35pH8wfPGb3pzBpbDgtwLLHjInpXgoYVEjgKU2bCXlMFZA5_giyx98K5BmmJOAG21zjU1To-jkmH10ubaIeRSN2Y7MCs/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnL9XGWjQQBB5xFJhysDPVJj4AjL_ms4Rx7mhem-oZsT6YQx35pH8wfPGb3pzBpbDgtwLLHjInpXgoYVEjgKU2bCXlMFZA5_giyx98K5BmmJOAG21zjU1To-jkmH10ubaIeRSN2Y7MCs/s400/ivy+2nd+week+055.JPG" width="371" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYqmCFVgFJ5CUDW5axgsg7VXIxGlITtDGYSgJRqi2iRacLJXa1yaqzuQzZ9975fm3IrQCPHcSV6NTFtsAJxbdKcVGhjAnVxLNpj8T8TK0wKlmjU2sI5NuYIKBiC0WTfXWnfbsQqnZyRE/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYqmCFVgFJ5CUDW5axgsg7VXIxGlITtDGYSgJRqi2iRacLJXa1yaqzuQzZ9975fm3IrQCPHcSV6NTFtsAJxbdKcVGhjAnVxLNpj8T8TK0wKlmjU2sI5NuYIKBiC0WTfXWnfbsQqnZyRE/s400/ivy+2nd+week+057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UombaNLyN_bQHJ1GyTGL7xg3FFGj7o5IXF20VDcXptYCSey66A53-manJcUmSP8DhZKwmt_aGKrV6555CEEubA9bnhcIrQcQQ0NbDC1hXQE8S3jV1jbNTp9iNMrza-oLnDQz6lp09ok/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UombaNLyN_bQHJ1GyTGL7xg3FFGj7o5IXF20VDcXptYCSey66A53-manJcUmSP8DhZKwmt_aGKrV6555CEEubA9bnhcIrQcQQ0NbDC1hXQE8S3jV1jbNTp9iNMrza-oLnDQz6lp09ok/s400/ivy+2nd+week+056.JPG" width="310" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzUI9WhRihFUso_3ko1R8lvfYRsIp39okqc4XaCAoeU_Aouvif_rQKKixyVZkpHXtqjYgHDsyHbxQoxpYgEhZMOjlNqJFUAx8jkzfOqMNd3PEAoYY-KQybbczJz2B2X-bIAcQ8c8B5nI/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzUI9WhRihFUso_3ko1R8lvfYRsIp39okqc4XaCAoeU_Aouvif_rQKKixyVZkpHXtqjYgHDsyHbxQoxpYgEhZMOjlNqJFUAx8jkzfOqMNd3PEAoYY-KQybbczJz2B2X-bIAcQ8c8B5nI/s400/ivy+2nd+week+014.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQnBGZA_0iMbABWW6oF-UdwflErQWK1MoN2vvH_yAJLpnioYh58EU9eTTG9ncCKcfShxMvhbDRjyNTBNIlc5hgR0fY6rp56CrtF9jo_pwifOTWC6SwhIVJFPoP3oaTSXOXhgnGuQwvfA/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQnBGZA_0iMbABWW6oF-UdwflErQWK1MoN2vvH_yAJLpnioYh58EU9eTTG9ncCKcfShxMvhbDRjyNTBNIlc5hgR0fY6rp56CrtF9jo_pwifOTWC6SwhIVJFPoP3oaTSXOXhgnGuQwvfA/s400/ivy+2nd+week+058.JPG" width="321" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3BdlrR1tIh90Bxeqp5MNvOwwdXwVYYa9wRQzrBpO9V2oGax4WGa4iflmEoQQv2IWEqLUrnAq1May0YGGvk7qrTcwVJklx_vAamQcqPigYb8eg9QZMDgZLxjyuRjwjR4u5Xy4928iS5U/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3BdlrR1tIh90Bxeqp5MNvOwwdXwVYYa9wRQzrBpO9V2oGax4WGa4iflmEoQQv2IWEqLUrnAq1May0YGGvk7qrTcwVJklx_vAamQcqPigYb8eg9QZMDgZLxjyuRjwjR4u5Xy4928iS5U/s400/ivy+2nd+week+059.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mom, this is overkill... it's 65 degrees!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhgrTgaRWL4hTF7J9DYDDql2pj9VBXU8c2fwGzsBTuYjGghTjvdM040YGQYpCbdpBRKSXFh6W-zj8VygCzhNQYEVmlYXiFulc79jjBFO3BeGF4VQa5JD9NMcciKo2LvrWO4U8aIiAiOY/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhgrTgaRWL4hTF7J9DYDDql2pj9VBXU8c2fwGzsBTuYjGghTjvdM040YGQYpCbdpBRKSXFh6W-zj8VygCzhNQYEVmlYXiFulc79jjBFO3BeGF4VQa5JD9NMcciKo2LvrWO4U8aIiAiOY/s400/ivy+2nd+week+074.JPG" width="340" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibdSSnuR8NKqy7gkRYbj97c3S2K6J5Im4ISziyNL1NhsecRVQ9T8YFingjSfm4mLtTs6i-4HmKfytxirZabDaMWc6Twd6mZkHrqLFpXv3wtaMLB2X5IlCxgz79M40TFRqzeFq9QGV1g8/s1600/ivy+2nd+week+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibdSSnuR8NKqy7gkRYbj97c3S2K6J5Im4ISziyNL1NhsecRVQ9T8YFingjSfm4mLtTs6i-4HmKfytxirZabDaMWc6Twd6mZkHrqLFpXv3wtaMLB2X5IlCxgz79M40TFRqzeFq9QGV1g8/s400/ivy+2nd+week+068.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">he got jealous of the pilot's cap...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">"An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">~Spanish Proverb</span>Breadwithhoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755962376048553094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203803677748336080.post-64976760378845535712012-08-16T11:25:00.001-05:002012-08-16T12:08:45.490-05:00SALE ALERT!Hi, friends! <br />
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Just a quick post to let you know that <a href="http://www.vitacost.com/">www.vitacost.com</a> has almost all their gluten-free products an extra 20% off right now. I have no affiliation with them and receive no compensation for advertising for them! One of our favorite premade snacks- Larabars- are included in the sale (most flavors under $1 per bar!), even if you are not GF, you may find some great deals. If, like me, you are a little too tied up to make everything from scratch at the moment... mosey on over and see what you can save on:<br />
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<a href="http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?Ns=P_SoldQuantity%7c1&showAll=true&_mid=43904&_rid=43904.28904.23587&N=32+1301861&pgSz=67&csrc=SITEREF-linkshare">vitacost GF sale</a><br />
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Enjoy,<br />
Maureen<br />
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