Anktangle

Friday Favorites: Back on Our Bikes

2013-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Friday favorites: a weekly linky for your favorite blog posts from the week co-hosted by Maya of Musings of a Marfan Mom and me!

Visit either here at Anktangle or over at Musings of a Marfan Mom every week on Friday to link up your favorite post from the week, and Maya and I will read and comment on them. Don't forget to share the love by reading and commenting on a few of the other favorites in the list after you link up yours!

In addition to the linky, I'm taking this opportunity each week to write a little bit about a my favorite moments from the past week. I hope you'll feel inspired to leave a comment telling me about your favorite thing(s) that happened this week, too!

These are a few of my favorite things:

I attended a Snatam Kaur kirtan last week. I'm having trouble putting into words how much it meant to me to go to the kirtan: it was a deeply spiritual experience for me. As I was moving toward the door at the end, I bumped into one of my former yoga teachers who I haven't seen since I went on the yoga retreat last fall. We got to talking, and she asked me if I wanted to go over to meet Snatam. I of course jumped at the chance, so we did just that! It was so lovely to be able to shake Snatam's hand and thank her for the gift of her music and mantras.

I snapped this photo over my shoulder
just before we got going for good.

We went on our first family bike ride of the year this past weekend! (What took us so long?!) It was really fun to get out on our bikes together again, and we got to try out the little bike trailer that we got for Daniel, since he's too big for his iBert seat now. Daniel really seemed to enjoy the trailer, which I'm particularly happy about, because I wasn't sure he would like being behind the bike instead of in the front. Daniel and I could still easily hear each other to carry on a conversation during the trip, so that made it easier, I think.

It felt really good to be back on my bike again, and even though I was towing an extra 55 pounds or so, I found it much easier to steer my bike without the iBert seat on my handlebars with a big kid inside. We also went ahead and splurged (ha!) on an extra coupler for Jaymz's bike, and I'm really glad we did. Now it's super easy for either of us to quickly attach the trailer to our bike and get on the road with Daniel in tow. I'm starting to look forward to participating in the Sunday Parkways events again this summer!

Jaymz pointed out to me this week that we have baby apples growing on the apple tree we had planted earlier this year, and I was so excited to see the tiny orbs swelling up. This tree is no taller than I am, so I'm surprised that it's even bearing fruit this year. I'm already looking forward to being able to go out there and pick our own apples! I know Daniel is going to get a huge kick out of that.

The three of us had dinner at Chipotle after a late appointment one night this week. While we were sitting at the table eating dinner, all of a sudden Daniel said, "I just really love this music!" ...and then he started dancing in his high chair. It was so beautifully spontaneous and joyful, and Jaymz and I couldn't help but to join right in with him, doing some chair dancing of our own. It was a brief and simple moment, but definitely one that put a smile on my face for a long while after.

What was one of your favorite moments from the week?

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Link up your favorite blog posts from the week using the linky below! Remember to share the love by reading and commenting on a few other posts from the list after you enter your link. The linky will stay open until Monday afternoon.

Tour of Italy Pasta Salad (High in Protein & Gluten-Free!)

2013-05-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

With picnic season coming up, I thought I'd share my favorite recipe for pasta salad: an easy dish to share with groups, and a wonderful staple to have on hand in the fridge during hot summer nights when you don't want to heat up the house to make dinner.

There's something wonderfully summery about pasta salad. Since I gave up eating gluten over two years ago, I've been happy to discover quinoa pasta, so that I don't have to miss out on my favorite pasta salad this time of year. Quinoa pasta has great texture and flavor, it’s not finicky like rice pasta, and it’s high in protein, to boot!

I must admit that sadly, I’ve never been to Italy, but I just love the classic flavors and elegant simplicity of Italian food. There’s a richness and a decadence present in a simple Margharita pizza that really appeals to me, and the elements of this pasta salad reflect those classic flavors. My sister is headed (back) to Italy in a few weeks, and I'm looking forward to living vicariously through her photos and stories when she gets back.

This is my most favorite pasta salad recipe, and I hope you’ll enjoy making and sharing it with people you love this summer!

Ingredients:

1lb of bite-sized quinoa pasta (I prefer to use a tri-colored variety, because it adds even more color to the salad, but I also enjoy the texture of shells very much in this recipe.)

AND 2lbs total of the following:

grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered, depending on their size)
artichoke hearts, cubed
roasted/grilled/sauteed asparagus spears, cut into 1-2" pieces
Garbanzo beans (If you've never cooked dried chick peas before, check out my roasted garlic hummus recipe for some tips.)
Calamata olives, sliced
bacon, cubed or crumbled
grilled chicken, cubed

PLUS

8 oz smoked mozzarella, cubed
8 oz regular mozzarella, cubed (you could make your own!)
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 large green onions, diced

Salad dressing:

½ cup sour cream (make your own)
½ cup mayonnaise (make your own)
½ Tablespoon garlic powder (or a clove of fresh garlic, minced)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dried Italian herbs (Make sure you at least add some oregano and basil if you don't have an Italian herb blend.)
Pepper to taste (I don't add salt because there are already plenty of salty ingredients in this salad, but you may prefer to add some.)

Directions:

Cook the pasta in boiling water (with salt) until the pasta is tender.
Drain the cooked pasta—but don't rinse it—then pour it out onto a cookie sheet to cool while you finish prepping the rest of the ingredients.
Chop, dice, cube, crumble the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, artichoke, asparagus, beans, olives, bacon, chicken, onions, and cheeses) and put them all into a large bowl. I use my largest mixing bowl for this salad, and it's the perfect size.
Prepare the salad dressing in a smaller bowl by simply mixing all of the ingredients together until they're well combined.
Add the pasta to the large bowl with the other ingredients, then pour the salad dressing on top.
Mix it all together and you're done!

I hope you like making and eating my Italy-inspired pasta salad! I'm excited to start making it again this season as the weather continues to warm up.

Let me know in the comments if you experiment with different variations of this salad, so that I can try your ideas, too!

Friday Favorites: The Purple Airplane

2013-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things:

Daniel and I had a lovely trip to the zoo with my friend Katie and her three adorable kiddos last Friday. It was a little challenging for Daniel, but we made it through in one piece, and he really got a kick out of seeing the animals at the zoo—particularly the giraffes. I enjoyed spending time with another adult...even if we did have to stop every few feet to attend to the needs of all our little zoo-mates.

I felt like a babywearing rock star wearing Daniel on my back for about half of the time. Near the end of our trip, Katie put baby James on her chest in a wrap and her toddler (Ellie) on her back in a SSC, and I was totally amazed. The best moment was when we got on the train like that: me with Daniel on my back, her tandem wearing two kiddos, and one of us holding her older daughter Lina's hand... and people moved out of their seats to give us a place to sit down. We ended up having six people taking up only two seats on the train—with both older kids on me (Lina in my lap and Daniel on my back) and both younger kids on her: the ultimate in efficient travel!

My rose bushes are starting to bloom. I got almost all of my roses through Freecycle, and here in the city of roses, I'm extra proud to have some beautiful blooms in my front yard this year. One of the bushes is so large that part of it got too heavy and fell over last weekend, so I cut off as many of the flowers as I could and Jaymz helped me arrange them in a vase (they were a little tricky because most of them were growing crooked from being at a strange angle). I cut my hand open on one of the thorns, but it was totally worth it for getting to enjoy the amazing smell and beauty of all those roses inside our house.

Jaymz and I enjoyed a rare date night last weekend, too!

We were having a rough weekend, so it was lovely to have a break to reconnect and relax a bit. We went to a restaurant we'd never tried before, and the serving style (small plates served family-style) and food was right up our alley. I'd definitely like to go back there the next time we have a night out! I'm thankful to Arwyn for gifting us with the childcare for the evening, and to Isaiah for providing it. When we got home, Isaiah was wearing Daniel and rocking in the hammock: indicative of Daniel's level of coping for the evening. I feel so blessed to have both Arwyn and Isaiah in our village!

Daniel was being (extra) sweet to me one day this week when I was upset about something. He really embraces the role of caregiver when one of us is in need of it (and we do our best to honor that without letting him take on too much). This time, Daniel knew Momma was upset, and for whatever reason he got it in his mind that the thing that was sure to make me feel better was a purple airplane. He informed me that he was going to make a purple airplane to help me feel better, and then he and Jaymz headed downstairs to eat dinner. When I went down to visit them later, Daniel was ready to present me with their creation: an honest-to-goodness purple airplane!

And don't you know it, it really did make me feel all better.

What was one of your favorite moments from the week?

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Pseudo-Vlog: The Fourth Trimester (That Wouldn't End)

2013-05-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

So how was your Mother's Day weekend?

Mine was... challenging.

Wearing my big kid in our woven WC ring sling.
He's crying, which is why I turned him away
from the camera. (This photo was taken
in chilly January, but you get the idea.)

It was one of those weekends where Jaymz and I had many moments of looking at each other and remembering (again) that in some ways, our sweet, nearly three-year-old Daniel is still in a much younger stage developmentally.

At some point this weekend—between Daniel's screaming, tears, lack of sleep, various potty issues, and intensive babywearing (preschooler-wearing?) on our parts—I remembered a video I recorded a while back of Jaymz wearing and bouncing Daniel on the ball while we chatted and joked about Daniel's (seemingly endless) fourth trimester. If you're not familiar with the concept of the fourth trimester, this article explains the theory which has been popularized by Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block.

Essentially, the fourth trimester is the first three months after birth, when an infant's nervous system isn't yet mature enough to effectively and efficiently soothe himself without help from a caregiver (a co-regulator.) The baby is most comfortable in situations which mimic the environment in utero: being tightly swaddled (or worn in a supportive baby carrier), being rocked or bounced (which mimics the motion of mama walking), hearing the sound of someone else's heart beat, suckling, etc.

Back in November, I captured this video of Daniel requiring fourth-trimester-esque soothing, as has become a routine and expected part of our life. I asked Jaymz why we should record it (because it's such a frequent occurrence for us), and his answer started our conversation:

Here's a transcript of the video, if you need it (a couple parts are quiet):

Jaymz: This is our life.
Amy: Yeah.
J: We're documenting it for posterity.
A: That's true. ... So Jaymz and I were just talking about how, even though Daniel is two-and-a-half, he [still] seems to like being in a uterus. Look! Jaymz—
J: And since I don't have a uterus—
A: Jaymz has his own uterus!
J: Strap-on.
...
J: Daniel, how are you feeling? Very good?
A: What did he say? "Very good?"
J: Yeah. You doing OK in there?
A: A couple minutes ago, Jaymz asked Daniel if he wanted to [stop bouncing and] go downstairs, and he said no, he just wanted to bounce in Momma's room. So that's what they're doing.
J: Middle of November, 2012. ... Yeah...
A: The air was cold. But the uterus was warm. ...And bouncy.
J: The good news is, I'm getting my workout in for the day.
A: I wonder how many hours you've done that?
J: Oh... I could probably estimate.
A: You think?
J: Yeah, I mean like: rough, back-of-the-napkin sort of thing.
A: Back of the napkin? Is that a thing?
J: Yeah, that's a thing: back-of-the-napkin calculation? Never heard of that one?
A: No.
J: Just me?
A: Yeah. Just you. ... Did you hear of that, Daniel? ...Have you heard of that? No? OK.
J: No? You haven't heard of a back-of-the-napkin calculation? Well...
A: See? Daniel and I agree. And he's pretty— pretty worldly, so...
J: What, with all the uteri he's lived in!
A: Yes. Both of them.
...
A: How you feeling, Daniel? ... Very good!

Here's Jaymz's conservative, back-of-the-napkin (I'm still not sure he didn't make that up ;) estimation of time spent bouncing on the ball, from Daniel's birth through the time this video was recorded:

2,160,000 bounces

540 hours ≈ 22.5 solid days of bouncing

Wow.

I'm tempted to try to estimate the number of hours I have spent holding Daniel while he cried (screamed, thrashed—more often lately while kicking and/or hitting me), but... I think I'm better off solidly in the dark on that one.

Friday Favorites: Hammock Time

2013-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things:

Last weekend, my dad was in town visiting us for a couple of days. It was very (unseasonably) warm and sunny out, and we ended up being able to make a lot of progress on the vegetable garden. My dad built a trellis for the squash (I'm going to try to get most of my squash to grow vertically this year) and I got almost all of my vegetables in the ground. I still have one 4' x 5' section to finish planting (as well as herbs, flowers, and ground cover to work on in the rest of the yard and around the house) but I was amazed at the volume of work we accomplished in just one weekend.

Thanks again for all your help, Dad!

Along with the extensive gardening, we enjoyed being outside in the sunshine. Daniel ran around the yard in his swimsuit for a while one day, and we all got a good dose of Vitamin D. We filled his kiddie pool up (which we got from our closest neighbors, whose kids are too old for it now) for the first time, which was fun. Daniel stepped in and out of it a few times, but the water was too cold for him to get any good time in. I'm sure we'll have plenty of warm days to try again in the future!

Probably my most favorite part of the weekend was that we hung up our hammock for the first time this year. I just love relaxing in the hammock, enjoying being outside but not necessarily doing anything except observing, taking it all in. I've gotten a few opportunities to utilize the hammock this week, and it's felt so good. In fact, most of this post was written while listening to music and sitting out in the hammock! Daniel is enjoying playing with it, too, which is double fun (and double cuddly).

And one final favorite moment from the week: Daniel was hiding in his cabinet one evening after dinner (I know that might sound strange, but there is a cabinet in our kitchen that Daniel has claimed as his own sort of cave; he loves to hide in it and play games on his phone or listen to music). When it was time to start gearing down for bed, I opened the cabinet door and handed him a chewable melatonin (he gets one an hour before bed every night). Daniel took it, thanked me, and put it in his mouth to chew, but then he stopped for a second and said to me knowingly, "Momma. You should've knocked-ed first."
Good point there, kiddo. Thank you for the reminder!

What was your favorite moment from the week?

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Friday Favorites: Three Day Weekends

2013-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Friday favorites: a weekly linky for your favorite blog posts from the week co-hosted by Maya of Musings of a Marfan Mom and yours truly!

Visit either here at Anktangle or over at Musings of a Marfan Mom every week on Friday to link up your favorite post from the week, and Maya and I will read and comment on them. Don't forget to share the love by reading and commenting on a few other posts in the list after you link up yours!

In addition to the linky, I've decided to take this opportunity each week to write a little bit about a my favorite moments from the past week. I hope you'll feel inspired to leave a comment telling me about your favorite thing(s) that happened this week, too!

These are a few of my favorite things:

Jaymz has taken a few Mondays off recently, which has given our family a few three day weekends in a row! It's been amazing to me to experience how much more restful and productive our weekends feel with that extra day at the end. Plus, then our work weeks start on Tuesday, which helps them to move along at a quicker pace (and helps us all to avoid getting a case of the Mondays). My favorite things during our long weekends recently were: working in the garden together, cooking and eating meals together, and seeing the house start to get cleaner and more organized little by little.

Flowering rosemary in Arwyn's yard

It's been so warm here the past couple of days. I've really been enjoying the sunshine! It's often cloudy in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and these summery rays we've had lately feel good to the soul. I know the new little plants in the garden are soaking it all in, too!

I spent a blissful morning this week wandering idly around Portland Nursery: breathing in the smell of all the plants, reading about different varieties of houseplants, vegetables, and flowers, and then carefully choosing a few of them to take home with me. My visit to the nursery was a welcome break from our usual (faster) pace of life. It felt like an extended version of my garden meditation, and I think I really needed it.

What was your favorite moment from the week?

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Tips for Moving with a Toddler (or Sensory Kid)

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been just over a year since we moved into this, our first owned home. I wrote this post shortly after moving, and then didn't ever publish it. It was fun to look back at the photos of us a year ago and see how much we've grown and changed.

With spring and Moving Season solidly upon us, I'm sharing these tips and suggestions now in the hopes that they'll help someone out there with navigating a moving transition with their kiddo. If you have additional insights to share about how you eased through a big transition with a kid in tow, I'd love it if you'd share your wisdom in the comments below!

A little over a year ago, our family moved into a new home. It was an in-town move, less than a mile between the two residences. Regardless of where or how far you're going, moving with a kid (or more than one!) can be very disruptive and challenging, too.

There were lots of things to do to prepare for the move: packing, cleaning, organizing...but the biggest challenge for us was helping Daniel through the transition. I had a request from a fellow mama moving with a toddler to write about our experiences with moving and what we did to help prepare Daniel for the change.

I feel compelled to add a disclaimer up front: I have to admit that managing Daniel's sensory challenges colors my experience of motherhood so much at this point that I sometimes have difficulty knowing which things are typical toddler behaviors and which things are specific to kids with SPD. In a lot of ways, I've gotten so used to the ways Daniel processes and reacts to things that when I'm around neurotypical children, I'm surprised at how they act and I don't know how best to relate to them (simply because that is not my experience of parenting). As I was writing this post, it was hard for me to separate out the sensory interventions from those which would be more universal, but I think the list I've come up with is relatively adaptable to all kinds of kiddos. If your little one is more high needs or sensitive, these tips may just apply to you that much more.

Talk about moving—a lot. I think this might be the most important thing anyone can do to prepare their child for any of life's many transitions: simply to be open to the conversation, and to have it often.

We started talking to Daniel about the impending move as soon as our offer was accepted on the house. We focused on talking about how moving to a new house will be different, and it might even feel a little scary, but that we were all going together and we would have all of our things when we got there (no one/nothing would be left behind).

Besides talking to Daniel, I discussed the upcoming change with Daniel's various providers (his OT, Lisa, in particular) to let them know what was about to happen in our lives. I got some ideas and suggestions from them about how to help him through this stressful time. I talked with other parents of sensory kids in the sensory support group I attend, just to ask them about their experiences and get an idea for what I might expect. I talked with parents of neurotypical kids who had been through a move with a little one to hear about their experiences, and what worked and didn't work for them.

Read books about moving and/or make up stories if your family is into storytelling. A lot of times it can be easier for kids to process life events in the context of pretend, stories, play, etc. Even as adults, we can understand that when something is happening to someone else, it's often easier to have perspective about how everything will turn out alright for them in the end.

To help with the move, Lisa made a social story for Daniel about moving which was filled with photographs of our family. The message was simple: our living space would change, but our family would be the same; he would still have everything he needed to feel safe and loved.

Visit the new place (if possible) and take photos of your child in his new room to show to him. If you can't visit, still show your child photographs of the new place if you have any, particularly where they will sleep and where you all will eat and play together. We visited the new house at least once a week from the time we knew the move was going to happen until the day we moved. Visits (naturally) became more frequent, and we had a few meals there together (on the floor) to help it feel more like home.

Listen to your child (and yourself!) about what kind of packing process would feel best to everyone: quickly over several days, slowly over a month or more...? Of course this can be dictated by your move-out date and other housing, time, patience, and energy limitations. As much as you can, try to find a happy middle ground that feels good to everyone. We had some trouble with this, as Jaymz and I didn't initially agree on how to orchestrate the packing process, but it ended up working out in the end.

Consider letting your kiddo "help" with packing their room or just with you along the way, adding items to boxes. I hear this works really well for some kids, but we found that Daniel was really upset by the packing aspect, and he would frantically pull things out of boxes, attempting to put them back where they belonged. It was really sad and stressful for us, so we tried to pack only when Daniel was asleep, and then in the last few days my brother Matthew played with him on one floor while Jaymz and I packed on the other floor.

Think about participating in a ritual where each of you (especially your child) moves one object over to the new house before moving day. This was something Lisa suggested to us, that we make a point to have Daniel choose one of his things (a book or toy, for example) and take it from one house to the other, leaving it in his new room. I really do love the symbolism behind this ritual, and I think the physical act of it can really help little ones to better understand the transition that is about to happen.

Consider asking a trusted friend or family member to care for your toddler on moving day. For us, this was essential because even though Jaymz and I knew it would be difficult for Daniel to be away from us (his primary emotional regulators), we believed it would be more difficult for him to experience strangers coming into his house and taking all of his things away to put them in a big truck and drive away.

This decision turned out to be even more wise in our situation (in retrospect) because the moving company lost our reservation and so they showed up three hours late. When we realized they weren't coming (after a brief freak-out moment) Jaymz called several of his friends from work who gladly came over to help us move all of our boxes in our three small cars. By the time the movers finally showed up, all that was left for them to take was the large furniture, so we ended up paying them for less time.

Even if we could've prepared Daniel for the experience of seeing the movers load up the truck, the last-minute change in plans (during nap time!) would've been a lot to get through without too much fallout. I'm grateful that Daniel had a loving caregiver and a safe place to play on moving day.

After you have all your things in your new place, set up your child's room first. This was key for us as well, as we really wanted Daniel to come back to the new home to a room full of familiar things. We made sure to put his bed together first thing, and then we loaded it up with all of his comforting sleepy objects so he would feel safe there.

Have your child "help" unpack and settle in to the new place! This has been wildly successful with Daniel (insofar as he's enjoying it, not that it's particularly helpful). He just loves to clean and move things around. I found that involving Daniel has encouraged me to take my time and to have some perspective about the unpacking process. There's really no rush, right?

Focus on unpacking what will be your main living space(s) first (the living room and kitchen, perhaps?). For us, removing the visual chaos of the piled boxes and making our main living space (where we would spend most of our time) actually liveable was very important to do quickly. We moved on a Saturday, and by Monday evening, most of our main living space was fairly functional.

Ack! This was our living room
right after the movers left.

Don't go back to to old place to say goodbye. You know how visiting the empty former dwelling to clean or tie up loose ends can sometimes feel a little weird? It's strange to see the place that used to be home looking so bare and unwelcoming.

Well, Daniel had a ton of trouble going back to our old place the one time we took him, having a huge meltdown almost the entire time we were there. Upon later reflection I realized that the visit was really not the best idea for my kid in that moment (so now I know).

You see, we were shooting for something like this:

But there was a lot of this:

And a little of this:

And even more of this:

All of which made me feel a little like this:

This was supposed to be a lovely moment, dammit!

...Perhaps it's best to avoid this kind of situation in the future, no? ;)

On that note, I'd love to hear your best suggestions for navigating a big transition with a little one in tow. Do you have a brilliant tip that I missed? I hope you'll share your insights and experiences in the comments!

#OneWord365: On the Harmony of Growth & Contentment

2013-04-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, this GROW year has gotten away from me, and my plan of writing a grow post each month this year got a bit sidetracked by other things.

Still, I was reminded recently that perhaps the most important step toward achieving any goal is the all-important act of simply showing up. So here I am again, showing up (albeit, a little late) with reflections on growth from the first quarter of this year.

There's no image that embodies contentment
quite so much as a happy cat

There has been a recurring theme so far in my year of grow, and it seems only right to explore it a bit here in my first update on this year's word.

The concept that has been coming up over and over in different contexts for me is the idea that in order to be open to growth or change, one must first be dissatisfied—or downright unhappy—with her current state of being.

I have a lot of trouble with this idea. It implies that in order to want to change, I must first be unhappy; I must first not like who I am today. In order to desire growth, progress, and, ultimately, an outcome different than my current state, I can't be content with how things are right now, in this moment. I've tried to simply reject this concept outright, but it keeps popping up and invading my hard earned sense of contentment with the state of my life and (perhaps more importantly) myself.

So I've been thinking a lot about how one can continue on a path of growth and change while simultaneously being completely content with each day, each moment, each state of being along that journey. To desire positive movement in some direction, while simultaneously feeling happy with the place you're in right now.

The answer I've come up with for me is about framing: rather than pinpointing a particular goal or achievement (an outcome or destination), I've got to think about growth and change as a journey, a daily choice, and (if I'm going to be really honest with myself) a never-ending process. If I can truly enjoy all the steps along the way, it becomes less about trying to be or do something else, and more about choosing each day to focus on things that are important to me, and that make me feel good.

None of us really knows exactly where we're going, anyway, right? I say you might as well choose the path that most appeals to you for the long and exciting journey ahead. And know that where you are right now has the potential to be just as valuable, enjoyable, and desirable as where you're headed.

Friday Favorites: April Flowers

2013-04-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to join my friend Maya of Musings of a Marfan Mom to host Friday Favorites: a weekly linky for your favorite blog posts from the week!

Visit either here at Anktangle or over at Musings of a Marfan Mom every week on Friday to link up your favorite post from the week, and Maya and I will read and comment on them. Don't forget to share the love by reading and commenting on a few other posts in the list after you link up yours!

In addition to the linky, I'm going to take this opportunity each week to write a little bit about a my favorite moments from the past week. I hope you'll feel inspired to leave a comment telling me about your favorite thing(s) that happened this week, too!

These are a few of my favorite things:

Picking dandelions ("Danielions") in our yard with Daniel. I particularly enjoyed witnessing his process: he doesn't clear out a whole area, but rather he picks one from by the fence, then runs over to the sidewalk, then back by the house... it was so fun! Plus, it gave me a little time to do a few outdoor chores that I needed to do, like watering our new trees.

Jaymz, Daniel, and I went out for bubble tea this weekend to reward ourselves for getting so many things done from our list. Daniel loves bubble tea, so we decided he'd get to have his own this time instead of sharing with us. We were standing at the counter and it became time to pay, but Jaymz was holding Daniel, so J asked Daniel, "Here, will you go hug Momma for a minute? Momma is so huggable." I replied while reaching out to Daniel, "I am!" and Daniel replied (very loudly), "Momma is so horrible!" Everyone had a good laugh. The barista said it was the best thing he'd heard from a little kid all week!

Seeing the spring flowers blooming. The dogwoods are in full bloom right now, and they are one of my most favorite trees. Our new baby apple tree has its own little blossoms right now, too. There's just nothing like spring flowers after a dark, rainy winter!

Date nights with friends. I've had the pleasure of going out to dinner with two of my closest (local) friends during evenings in the past couple of weeks. It can sometimes be difficult to make these kinds of outings happen, but I am realizing again how very important it is for me to spend time renewing my spirit with others who lift me up. Laughter, community, and delicious, nourishing food: definitely good medicine in my book!

What was your favorite moment from the week?

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Danielions

2013-04-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Daniel loves dandelions.

It's a good thing, because they're out in full force right now, enjoying the sun, intermittent warmth, and occasional rain of spring in Portland.

Jaymz is very allergic to dandelions, but Daniel and I are not, so I can enjoy going outside with him to harvest his favorite flowers.

The best part (for me) about Daniel's love for dandelions is that he calls them Danielions instead of dandelions, substituting his name for the beginning of the word. How could a kid not love his namesake flower, after all?!

A few days ago, we were outside together picking Danielions and I took a few photographs so you can share in the Danielion experience, too.

Daniel's loot

Choosing carefully

We took this photo together.

I was even able to capture a short video of Daniel discussing picking Danielions. I hope you'll enjoy watching it as much as I do!

Tree Planting Day

2013-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day!

Jaymz, Daniel, and I spent this morning outside together working in the garden and yard: re-potting plants, planting vegetables and flowers, and enjoying the sunny day. I didn't take any photographs since my hands were muddy, but in honor of Earth Day, I'm sharing the story of our tree planting day!

Last spring, I got in touch with Friends of Trees to order trees for our new home. Friends of Trees is a wonderful organization that provides yard and street trees at discounted prices to families in the Portland-Vancouver, and Eugene-Springfield areas. The planting weekend for our neighborhood is in January, so we had to wait almost a full year to get the trees from the time I started planning for them, but it was definitely worth the wait!

On planting day, teams of volunteers from the neighborhood (folks who are also getting trees planted at their homes that day, for the most part) drive around to homes and plant trees throughout the morning. When they're all finished, there's hot lunch served at a local church. I ordered five trees to be planted this year: three for the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street, a native cedar for the front yard, and an apple tree for the back yard.

I took this photo for my mom. ♥
She used to carry me in her coat just like this!

One of the trees (the cedar) was delivered the day before, and one of the trees (the apple) came about six weeks later. We were all very excited when we saw the truck pull up with our trees loaded in the back, so we went outside to talk and lend a hand while our trees were being planted. (I had opted to make a huge pot of potato leek soup to donate to the meal as my main act of volunteering for the day.)

It was a cold and drizzly day (as January days tend to be here), and our new trees were the last ones this team was planting for the day. I really appreciated the care the team took with planting our trees: making sure they were standing up straight, considering how the branches of each tree would likely grow when choosing which side to face toward the street, teaching us about the trees and how best to care for each of them as they grow. It was really a wonderful experience all around.

Here are some more photographs from our tree planting experience:

A different volunteer team came by earlier in the week
to dig holes in the spots I had marked with tiny flags.

The cedar tree arrived on our lawn the day before planting day.

Getting started

Almost finished with the side trees!

Finishing up in the front yard

Our apple tree was planted while I was out of
the house one morning. What a lovely surprise!

The tiny apple blossoms on this pint-sized tree are my favorite!

Did you celebrate Earth Day today? Have you planted anything new lately? I'd love to hear all about it!

Wordless Wednesday: First Egg Hunt

2013-04-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday, Jaymz and I set up a small egg hunt for Daniel while he was napping. It was the first time he's has done anything like that, and we all thought it was a lot of fun! I'm glad we only had a dozen plastic eggs though, because the whole experience was pretty overwhelming for Daniel, and we spent the rest of the evening trying to come down from the excitement of the activity.

I love this photo Jaymz took.
I imagine it's what Daniel's world feels like
when he's doing something new.

We finally mowed our lawn yesterday after letting it get pretty jungle-y.
I think the overgrowth really added to the hunting experience!

I got a real kick out of taking photos of Daniel not seeing the eggs.
(It's the little things, you know.)

If you still haven't had enough of the egg hunting action [Hi, Mom!] here's a video:

How did you and yours celebrate the coming of Spring? I'd love to hear all about it!

Support Anti-Hunger Legislation! Food is a human right.

2013-04-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I signed up to be a part of the Food Bloggers Against Hunger project today because I believe that regardless of how much money a person makes, she should be able to eat as much as she needs every single day.

Food is a basic human right, not a privilege.

Because I believe everyone deserves to have enough to eat, I wholeheartedly support legislation that increases SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) benefits and other supportive programs that help out families in times of need.

There are a lot of negative things said about SNAP and the families who use it. In actuality, fraud only accounts for a very small percentage of the benefits that are distributed, and it's extremely unfair to put the burden and stigma of that on the majority: people who are doing their best to get by, and also need some help right now.

I fully admit that I don't have any personal experience with using SNAP benefits. However, while my brother was living with us last year, he qualified for SNAP, so I've seen how limited the benefits can be. I've also witnessed how it can sometimes be really difficult to receive benefits in the first place (even when you have $0 income).

For instance, one of the things you're not allowed to purchase with the SNAP card is ready-made food, which means that while my brother could purchase raw chicken, he could not purchase a cooked chicken from the deli. These kinds of limits assume that people receiving SNAP have resources available to them (an oven, toaster oven, or microwave; sufficient dishes and cookware; sufficient time available for food prep; etc.) to safely cook raw foods. And this is one of the many reasons why it's easier to purchase less healthy foods when using SNAP benefits. Plus, you can buy 4 packages of Ramen noodles (sometimes more or less, depending on where you shop) for $1, but you can only buy one organic yam for the same price. Which gets you more calories? More food in your belly? Ramen may not be the most nutritious food, but when you have such limited resources to pay for food, the choice in that moment is simple.

(For more reading on nutrition as it relates to being poor, I highly recommend If only poor people understood nutrition! from Michelle at The Fat Nutritionist, and 5 Reasons Poor People Don't Eat Healthy from Jupiter at Crazy Dumbsaint of the Mind.)

Another thing you can't buy with SNAP is anything that isn't food. I know: obviously, right? But if you have no income and your unemployment has run out (or you didn't get any in the first place) how are you supposed to get personal care products? Fortunately, many household cleaners and personal hygiene products can be made out of items which can be purchased with food stamps, but that doesn't mean it's always easy.

Many people don't realize that participation in SNAP actually benefits communities economically. Of Americans who qualify for SNAP, only 75% participated in 2010, and participation rates vary widely from state to state. Every $5 in SNAP participation generates $9 in total community spending, and a well-fed worker is more likely to be healthier and take fewer sick days which benefits the economy even more. Learn more about the economic benefits of SNAP here and here.

I asked a few people I know to share some personal thoughts and experiences with food insecurity, SNAP, and hunger.

Here's what they had to say:

P.P. of Missouri:

I do not qualify for SNAP. I fall through the cracks, and disabled and diabetic, dealing with major health problems because I cannot afford proper nutrition. I have been advised by several people as well as got a mutual "understanding" that I should separate from my husband so we can qualify for SNAP. I took a "preregistration" quiz and found out if we were separated, my daughter and I would get $273 in SNAP benefits. To me, this is ruining marriages: to separate families just because we are about $100 over [the income] guidelines.

J.A. of Oklahoma:

I haven't felt judged [when using SNAP to buy groceries] and they're on a bank card now, so people don't even realize you're using them (I've been on the actual paper version - 22 years ago) but it is certainly a lot of work to get on them! I had to provide a huge amount of documentation, proof of all kinds of things. ...

I think food distribution has maybe gotten less shaming...or I've just grown up. I went to Catholic Charities when I was 17 and on my own as a single mother, and the people there were really hard up. I felt bad taking the food; I was ashamed, but no one was actually shaming me. No one was judging me but me. Now? We have gone to [our local] food distribution and you see people in nice cars and nice clothes. I remind others: in this economy, someone might have a big house, nice car, nice clothes—and then lose their job and not be able to replace it. That doesn't make them any less in need of food.

R.O. of Missouri:

Our local Food Bank has staff and volunteers to help people through the SNAP application process, it makes it much less daunting for those applying. Since people have to bring in their income information, and info on the people residing in the household to qualify to "shop" at [our onsite food pantry]. ...

I agree that food is a basic human right and the United States is a country of "privilege" and as such, what does our country do to supply/protect the rights of all citizens and those living within its borders? There should not be this projected world image of a "rich" country with the same hunger issues as a third world country: very hypocritical in my opinion. SNAP is a government program that has a direct, almost immediate, positive impact on our economy. You give a person SNAP benefits and they will buy groceries; most people do not carry a balance on their SNAP card from month to month. So if a person who had limited funds to purchase food with is given the opportunity to go shop for food with SNAP, they boost the economy because they put those $$$ back into the system. One of the best stimulus plans out there!

What can you do to make a difference?

Here are just a few of the many ways you can pitch in to help fight hunger in America:

Sign this letter asking your representatives in Congress to protect federal programs that feed our nation's hungry children, then share it with everyone you know. We all deserve to have enough to eat. Period. No kid should go hungry.

Support local efforts to grow food not lawns. Many cities around this country have laws and ordinances against growing (food) gardens in front of residences for purely aesthetic reasons. But gardening is possible even in urban areas, and it's one of the most economical ways to provide food for a family. Growing food shouldn't be against the law.

Like The Giving Table on Facebook to follow along with the participants of FBAH today and also to keep up on all the ways you can make a difference in our food system and do good with food.

Follow the #takeyourplace hashtag to get involved with the discussion on Twitter.

Follow the Food Bloggers Against Hunger board on Pinterest.

Watch this new documentary from Participant Media (the makers of Food Inc.) called A Place at the Table (trailer below), which follows three families struggling with food insecurity and outlines the very real problem of hunger in America. Check the listings to see if the film is screening near you. If not, it's also available on demand through Amazon and iTunes.

Most importantly, keep being vocal about food scarcity and the ways we can work to relieve hunger. Don't rest until no one goes to bed hungry at night. It's really the very least we can do for our fellow human beings.

#Breastfeeding Support Round-Up

2013-03-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, bloggers from around the world came together in a show of support for breastfeeding mothers. New mothers have enough challenges without having to feel guilty for how they feed their baby, especially when they are choosing the most natural of means: breastfeeding.

Over the last few days there have been heated debates, controversial posts, and social media outcry against the position that the Weston A. Price Foundation takes on breastfeeding. While they do present sound information on the ideal diet for breastfeeding mothers, they do so in a manner that brings about guilt, fear, and confusion.

The bloggers who participated in the Breastfeeding Support Blog Party are not trying to create a divide between mothers. We simply want to offer support (in the form of blog posts) as to why breastfeeding should always be the first choice both for baby and mama.

We hope you take some time to read the posts that were written as part of the Blog Party. There are also over 140 posts linked up as part of this. Take some time to check them out here or link up your own breastfeeding support post!

Dionna at Code Name: Mama has come up with 40 ways that family, friends, coworkers and employers can support mothers who pump breastmilk, along with a ton of resources for you and the pumping mom in your life. There are also some fun graphics you can print and pass out, with 70% of all proceeds going to buy pumps for moms in domestic violence shelters!

Destany at They Are All of Me writes about ten common breastfeeding myths that scare women out of breastfeeding.

Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses how her diet wasn't WAPF perfect, but she still breastfed a perfectly healthy baby.

Christine at African Babies Don't Cry is passionate about breastfeeding, here are her 101 reasons why!

Kelly at Becoming Crunchy discusses the question of whether you should still nurse - even if your diet isn't 'right'.

Jorje of Momma Jorje has enough pressure in her life, she is glad she doesn't have to worry about what, when and how much food she feeds her son since he is also still nursing.

Angela at EarthMamas World discusses a few of the most common problems that a mama may encounter while breastfeeding. Angela also shares natural remedies for each of these breastfeeding problems!

That Mama Gretchen reflects on the beautiful bond breastfeeding has created as her two children have transitioned from their womb experience to their earth side one.

Julia at A Little Bit of All of It shares ways breastfeeding and breastmilk are unique and special in a way only they can be.

Amy W. at Natural Parents Network shares 5 scientific reasons that mother's milk is an unequaled form of nutrition and nurture: so awesome, and so unique!

Laura at Authentic Parenting shares solid information on iron intake for the breastfed baby.

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares the questions (and answers) about breastfeeding she wished she had a friend to answer for her before becoming a mama.

Abbie at Farmer's Daughter choose to breastfeed her children in part because it’s easier than bottle feeding, not to mention that it is the best nutrition for babies, that it has health benefits for both mother and child, that it encourages bonding, and of course that it’s free! Basically breastmilk is the ultimate convenience food.

KerryAnn at Cooking Traditional Foods shares how the rush to recommend raw milk formula actually harms mothers.

Starlene at GAPS Diet Journey shares her experience with nursing and why she feels it is an important piece of the your baby's health.

At Living Peacefully with Children, Mandy draws a connection between how formula companies market and how women are treated by society.

Amy at Anktangle outlines a few of the many ways breastfeeding benefits both mom and child—aside from providing excellent nutrition.

Adrienne at Whole New Mom shares Part One and Part Two of 100 Reasons Why Breast Is Best.

Dawn at Cultured Mama shares her personal breastfeeding journey and how she overcame low supply issues and successfully tandem nursed with only one breast.

More Than Great Nutrition: 5 OTHER Ways Breastfeeding Benefits Mom and Baby

2013-03-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Breastfeeding Support Blog Party! Bloggers around the world have gathered together to share posts which provide current or soon-to-be breastfeeding mothers with a wealth of well-researched information, personal stories, and statistics designed to help you have the most successful breastfeeding experience possible. Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more about this movement and to read other informative posts in support of breastfeeding.

Aside from being the optimal nutrition source for infants (which readily adapts to their nutritional and immunological needs) breastfeeding has tons of other kind of benefits for both mom and baby.

Here are just five of the many ways breastfeeding is good for the whole family:

Cancer Prevention

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cancer in both mom and baby. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer in the mother, and the benefit increases along with the duration of breastfeeding.

The longer you breastfeed, the lower your risk of developing cancer.

Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of the child developing a childhood cancer such as leukemia. With its amazing cancer-fighting power, breastmilk is the ultimate medicine for you and your baby!

Oxytocin

Also known as the love hormone, oxytocin is released in the body when we're engaging in activities of connection with those we love: birth, breastfeeding, hugging, sex... even during family dinner. Oxytocin reduces anxiety and produces feelings of calm, contentment, security, and attachment. Oxytocin is released during breastfeeding, and it feels great!

Brain Development

Breastfeeding aids in infant brain development. Breastfed babies have been shown to have higher IQs than infants fed milk substitutes, and studies have shown that children who were breastfed do better in school than children who were not (even after controlling for other influencing factors). What's more, the intellectual benefits increase the longer the child is breastfed—another great reason to consider nursing your child until she weans on her own!

Downtime

Breastfeeding provides optimal time for both mom and baby to bond with each other. As baby grows older, nursing times allow for moments of connection during our hectic days. Particularly as baby becomes more mobile and active over time and grows into a toddler (and beyond!), sitting down to nurse can provide much-needed downtime for both mom and baby.

Built-in First Aid Kit

Breastmilk is packed with antibodies, so it's ideal for building baby's immune system. In addition to its benefits for baby internally, breastmilk can be used externally to treat many common ailments: diaper rash, acne, and pink eye (to name just a few). And it's not just for baby, either! I've used breastmilk to heal cuts and burns on myself, and to help treat pink eye in others. I even wrote a whole post about the many alternative uses for breastmilk. You may be surprised at all the ways breastmilk can be utilized!

What other benefits of breastfeeding can you think of? Share your ideas in the comments!

This gathering of breastfeeding support comes in response to the Weston A. Price Foundation’s (WAPF) continued stance on breastfeeding, which we all have a great concern with. While the WAPF does support breastfeeding as the best option for feeding babies, it does so with a caveat: Breastfeeding mothers must follow the strict tenants of the WAPF diet and mothers who are not following their nutrient dense diet recommendations would be better off feeding their babies homemade formula (based on the WAPF recipe). In addition, they are outspoken against using donor milk.

The bloggers sharing posts today are concerned with the confusion this may cause breastfeeding mothers. Not only does research support the myriad of health benefits of breast milk for babies regardless of the mother’s diet, it also outlines additional benefits of breastfeeding such as better bonding, deeper trust, and a long list of other emotional benefits. And let’s not forget the health benefits for moms!

We will have a complete list of all the blog posts published today (as part of this Blog Party) in a separate post on Sunday, March 31st. We welcome you to join this blog party by linking up your own new and previously published posts which focus on any positive aspect of breastfeeding and breast milk. Please enter using the Linky Tool which can be found at Hybrid Rasta Mama, Cooking Traditional Foods, Whole New Mom, Alternative Parenting, or African Babies Don’t Cry. (All links will be subject to moderation. Any link not following the spirit of the Blog Party will be removed.

Teaching Kids About Consent (and How Not to Rape)

2013-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

A lot has been said about the Steubenville rape case this week, and a big part of me wanted to be able to get through this without writing about it. But then I read this post by Abby, an English teacher who boldly faced a conversation about rape with her classroom of 9th graders this week. She took the opportunity to teach them about consent, and I admire her bravery. There are so many things about what happened in Steubenville that are truly, deeply disturbing to me, but one of the things that's getting me most is that the rapists in this case (and many people reacting to the case, including the students in Abby's class before their discussion) seem to have absolutely no idea what it means to get consent from a sexual partner.

This is a huge problem. Major.

I've had far too many experiences of having other people fail to respect my body and the boundaries I've painstakingly constructed around it. I don't want that for Daniel. I want my child to always know that his body is his. That no one is allowed to touch him without his consent. That this is a baseline expectation, not a luxury or the exception to the rule. And that he is expected to show the same respect to other people. Always.

Teaching consent is relatively simple, though I admit that practicing consent with children has the potential to be triggering for those of us who have had negative experiences with breech of consent in the past. Even when it's difficult, it's our job as parents to demonstrate for our kids what it means to respect other peoples' bodies: ask first; wait for affirmative permission; listen for requests to stop; take appropriate action based on what the other person is telling you.

In my opinion, the first step in teaching our kids about consent is teaching them about their own bodily autonomy. And the best way I know to teach about bodily autonomy (and therefore consent) is through lots and lots of modeling. This means practice! Repetition. It means showing your kid that even when you disagree with her, you'll let her make that choice about her body because it's her body.

How do we model bodily autonomy?

Just as when interacting with other adults, we ask for consent before doing anything to the child's body:

Consent means letting a pre-verbal child know that you're going to pick her up before you do, and then reading her body language (facial expression, posture, muscle tone, gestures, verbal cues) to let you know if it's what she wants.
Consent means talking to your baby while you're dressing him to tell him what you're going to do with his body every step of the way.
Consent means that when your toddler says, "No! Put me down!" you put her down.
Consent means not requiring your children to hug, kiss, or have any mandatory physical contact with relatives just because it's the "nice" thing to do. Ask your son if he wants to give Grandma a hug before you leave, and then don't put pressure on him to hug her if he doesn't want to this time. It's his choice.

(I hope it's obvious that I'm not referring to instances where a child's safety is in jeopardy. If Daniel is about to run into the street, I protect his body because he doesn't always know how to best do that. When the imminent danger has passed, I apologize for surprising him by picking him up, grabbing his arm or coat, etc. without asking first. Then we have the talk again about how to keep ourselves safe around cars.)

Another way we can teach consent is with practice. Roll playing. Talking it out. Acting it out through play.

Tickling. This is the big one!

“My #banana is leaning over to say, ‘Eat me!’ …
Banana, I’m going to eat you now, OK?”

As an adult, I loathe being tickled because as a child, I was tickled many times until I cried. Tickling is a tricky game because the person being tickled is usually laughing, so it may seem like they're having fun. Often though, the person doing the tickling will not yield to requests for them to stop—especially if the tickler is an adult and the one being tickled is a child. Not OK!

Tickling and being tickled is an exercise in dominance and submission, and in any such play with power dynamics—even when it's not sexual in nature—it's important to:

Ask for consent before beginning,
Establish a "safe word" (or phrase) for a concrete indicator of when consent has been withdrawn, and
Stop frequently (especially when tickling, as it can be difficult to speak while laughing) to give the other person a chance to either reaffirm their consent or withdraw it.

Maybe this seems extreme for a little tickle session, but trust me: it's not. When you model this level of respect for your children's desires about their bodies (and in turn, hold them to treating your body with the same level of respect) you're teaching them about consent. Go you!

In our family, games of tickle (and similar touching-other-people-for-fun play) start with a question:

Do you want to be tickled?
May I honk your nose?
Is it OK if I touch your belly button?

We have a set of universal safe word phrases that all three of us use (so they don't have to be re-established each time; that level of planning is better suited—and more fun—for older children), which are:

That's enough.
I'm all done with ____ (being tickled, poked, etc.).
No thank you. I'm finished now. (often accompanied by signing "all done")

This system works well for us most of the time. But just like in life, sometimes someone makes a mistake and crosses a line, and apologies have to be made. It's extremely useful to have the opportunity to make these mistakes in a safe environment with loving caregiver(s) as a child.

Daniel is still just two years old, so he has moments where he continues with a physical game by touching Jaymz or me in an undesirable way after we've already withdrawn consent. Those moments can be a little triggering for me personally, but we get through them together. When Daniel crosses the line, Jaymz or I will repeat the safe word phrase, "I said that's enough. I'm finished with tickling and I need you to please stop now" and that usually does the trick. Then we have a moment where we remind everyone about the rules: asking for permission; stopping when asked in return.

More often than not in these instances, Daniel is wanting someone to tickle him, which is why he's not stopping tickling the other person. So then we (start from the top and) ask, "Do you want to be tickled?" and the process begins again.

I'm not saying we're perfect at this by any means, but we sure are trying. (And it seems to be working—check out Daniel getting consent from his banana in the photo above!)

The bottom line on consent is: if the other person doesn't give you a resounding, enthusiastic "YES!" then they have not given you their consent.

There is no reason a child should reach sexual maturity without understanding that he does not have permission to even touch someone else's body (much less rape her, document it, and brag about it) without her express consent.

It's our job as parents to teach him—all of them—how not to rape.

Want to know what else you can do to stop rape? Read these 21 (not-that-easy-yet-possible) steps to end rape culture from Juniper of Crazy Dumbsaint of the Mind.
I also like this one by Zerlina Maxwell: 5 Ways We Can Teach Men Not to Rape. (Thanks for the heads up on that one, eggsandbakey.)
And in case you have been living under a rock and don't know about the Steubenville case (and subsequent victim-blaming and overwhelming sympathy for the rapists in the media), this post from Bonnie at This is a Woman has a ton of links in a sort of timeline.

First image adapted from Yes? and No? by Lois Lindemann on Flickr.

#6IngredientChallenge: Final Thoughts

2013-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

This has been the Six Ingredient Challenge hosted by Hobo Mama and Anktangle!

We've been on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we've been blogging about our journey on the way.

This week we're answering the question: What are your final thoughts and reflections as we wrap up this challenge? Do you have any new-found wisdom to share?

You can see all the responses to this question today at this link-up post at Hobo Mama and Anktangle.
If you're a blogger who's published a response, please post the URL in the linky below so we can visit to read. If you don't have a blog or haven't published a response, feel free to provide your answer in the comments on this post on either Hobo Mama or Anktangle.

Thank you for following along for the Six Ingredient Challenge! This is our final post, and we've had such an enjoyable time journeying with you all along the way.

To read all the posts and recipes in the Six Ingredient Challenge, visit the main page for a list of reading resources!

My answer:

I have enjoyed co-hosting this challenge and it's also been really fun to follow along with all of the lovely participants during these past few weeks. It's been interesting for me to be more intentional about the foods I'm eating and preparing for my family. I particularly enjoyed sharing many new recipes and tutorials with you all through these past six weeks (check out a list of all the posts in this series on the main page of the challenge). I think my top two favorite posts to write during this challenge were the one about food shopping strategies and my love for intuitive eating.

Speaking of my philosophy on intuitive eating, it may very well be the reason I've not missed thinking about the challenge for the past few days when eating or menu planning: I have an eating strategy that has been working really well for me already. The Six Ingredient Challenge definitely pushed me to look more closely at labels and make a more concerted effort to choose store-bought items more purposefully, but at the same time, I haven't noticed that there's been that big of a change in the way I'm eating (or the foods I'm preparing) overall. I guess this means I was already mostly following the "rules" before Lauren and I had even settled on them together! I'm really glad I took this opportunity to reassess the foods I eat and to focus in again on listening for my body to tell me what feels good and what doesn't, food-wise.

Overall, it was a lovely experience to discuss and share ideas with the fellow participants and lurkers alike! Thank you for being a part of this with me.

Link up your answers to prompt #7!

What are your final thoughts and reflections as we wrap up this challenge? Do you have any new-found wisdom to share?

Wordless Wednesday: Shamrock Stride

2013-03-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Jaymz, Daniel, and I participated in the Shamrock Stride! Last year, I did the 5K run, but Jaymz and I wanted to do it together this year and strollers are not allowed in any of the runs, so we signed up for the 5K Stride instead.

Our train was very late, so we were late getting to the walk.
Daniel didn't mind the wait—there were plenty of
buttons to press at the train stop!

We could see the 5K runners on their way from our seats on the train.

It was a little loud for Daniel.
(But at least he had all his green gear!)

He was a little sleepy, too.

(Obligatory tourist-y shot of the Portland, Oregon sign)

In the home stretch! I love how everyone dresses up.

Finished!

We went out for chicken wings together afterward. It was a fun time! I will definitely continue to participate in these events in years to come.

Spring Cleaning with Freecycle

2013-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the March edition of the Simply Living Blog Carnival - Clearing the Clutter co-hosted by Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children, Laura at Authentic Parenting, Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy, and Joella at Fine and Fair.

This month our participants wrote about de-cluttering and cleaning up. Please check out the links to their thoughts at the end of this post.

A rose on one of the gorgeous
rose bushes I got from Freecycle

I've admitted here before that I'm a bit of a hoarder: both with food and other material possessions. I'm taking huge steps to move away from that though, as I come to realize more and more over time that keeping things around that aren't serving me or my family actually interferes with us navigating effectively through our home and our days.

This Spring in particular, I have a renewed sense of intention about letting go of things that are sitting around gathering dust, finishing projects that have been on the list for far too long, and simply upgrading our living environment in general. We moved to this house almost a year ago, and it tends to take me about that long in a new place to start to want to hang art and curtains, to rearrange the furniture so it works best in the space, and to really start to settle in for good. Since this is the first home we've owned, it feels even more significant to be settling into this place that will be ours for the foreseeable future.

As the weather has started to warm up over the past few weeks and the Spring bulbs are blooming all over the city, I've felt truly inspired to get to work going through boxes we've not yet fully unpacked, piles of things in the basement we haven't been using, and stacks of papers around the house that are just sitting around collecting dust.

One of the things I've been using to help me in this constant process of concurrent stuff removal and home improvement is Freecycle. If you're not familiar with Freecycle, I encourage you to search the site to see if there's a Freecycle group in your area. It's a fabulous service!

How it works:

Members list items they no longer use ("Offer" items), and other members respond to the listings if they're interested in the item. Someone is chosen (everyone has different methods for choosing someone to receive their item) and the item is either left on the person's porch for the other person to pick up, or (sometimes) the two people will meet at a mutually agreed upon location (like a store parking lot or the like). Members can also post "Wanted" listings if there's something they are in need of that someone else might have to give away.

Daniel and Eddie rocking out
on our glider from Freecycle.

I've had (almost exclusively) excellent interactions with fellow Freecyclers. I've given away so many things—even old, broken stuff—to eager Freecycle members. I've learned from using Freecycle that you just never know what someone else can find a use for, and it never hurts to offer! For instance, I recently listed two lightly used toilet seats on Freecycle and (to my surprise!) they were taken from my porch within 24 hours. I've also received many things I really wanted through generous people on Freecycle: three hearty rose bushes, numerous house and vegetable plants, a barely used crock pot for a friend, and (maybe my most favorite Freecycle score) a glider I've used to rock Daniel to sleep for nap countless times.

A few of the many benefits of choosing free exchange (through programs like Freecycle) over buying new or going to a thrift store:

It's totally not-for-profit: everyone gets what they want, and no money changes hands.
Useful things end up in the hands of a person who wants them, not in the landfill.
Meeting new people and making connections over mutual interests: I've had some really wonderful times interacting with fellow Freecyclers, like the afternoon I spent with my brother digging up unwanted plants in a lovely older woman's garden; or the time I helped load a box of shoes I had outgrown into the messenger backpack of the cyclist who came to pick them up; or the time I gave a woman a shower curtain rod which would be a gift for a family member, and she gave me a few of her houseplants as a "thank you."
Acquiring used items means they are likely no longer offgassing, and thus they're better for your family to be around. In the case of our glider, I was thrilled to pick this up from a neighbor family (really, just a few blocks from our home) who had used it to soothe and comfort their children until they grew out of it. Not only is it now going to good use, but that chair already holds the memory of sleepy children: nothing to sneeze at when you have a kid with as much trouble sleeping as Daniel has had.

Freecycle has become one of the things I love about living in this green and wonderful city, and it has helped me to get over some of my hesitance about getting rid of things I'm not using anymore. What's more: whenever I have a particularly nice interaction with a Freecycler, I'm reminded that this world really is full of so many wonderful people, and all I have to do is keep my eyes open and I'll see them.

Happy Spring to you! May your seasonal cleaning bring with it a sense of refreshment and renewal. (And keep on Freecycling!)

Thank you for visiting the Simply Living Blog Carnival cohosted by Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children, Laura at Authentic Parenting, Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy, and Joella at Fine and Fair!

Read about how others are incorporating simple living into their lives by clearing out the clutter.

We hope you will join us next month, as the Simply Living Blog Carnival focuses on Going Green!

7 Tips for Cutting the Toy Clutter - In a post at Natural Parents Network, Mandy offers easy and child-respectful ideas for downsizing your kids' growing mountains of toys.
De-Cluttering and Moving to Minimalism - Laura from Authentic Parenting is actively trying to achieve a more balanced life by giving up the things in order to make room for more enjoyment.
A Minimalist Clutter Bug - Destany at They Are All of Me writes about the daunting task of clearing away years of clutter brought on by disorganization and a dislike for throwing things away.
The Pack Rat Stops Here - Mercedes at Project Procrastinot doesn't want her twins to inherit the pack rat legacy but is uncertain how to lead by example.
Clutter Minimized - Jorje of Momma Jorje shares how minimizing different aspects of her life and household have changed her life.
Uncluttering Childhood - Are fewer toys and books harmful for your child? Does simplifying the stuff in your life, merely mean faster clean up? Find out if "less" is truly "more" for parents and kids alike at Heart-Led Parenting.
Lagom - Sustainablemum shares her family's search for balance in decluttering their home and their lives.
Letting Go - Of Things and Thoughts - Amy W. at Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work rejoices in her ability to allow others to teach her to let go - of things and of thoughts.
From Cluttered to Clutter Free - Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children discusses the changes she went through from growing up in a cluttered household to becoming a decluttering diva.
Facing the emotional roadblocks of clearing clutter - We all have reasons we hold on tightly to our stuff. Lauren at Hobo Mama offers advice for breaking through those walls.
Spring Cleaning with Freecycle - Amy at Anktangle shares how her spring cleaning ritual has become much more fun (and productive!) since she's embraced her local Freecycle community and all it stands for.

Why Small Changes Are Worth Celebrating at Hobo Mama

2013-03-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is the next-to-last post of the Six Ingredient Challenge! If you haven't yet, remember to link up your responses to last week's writing prompt and read and reflect on this final writing prompt sometime before Thursday. You can also visit the main page to read along with all the posts and start making healthful changes in how you eat.

Today at Hobo Mama, Lauren is passionate in defending the worthiness of baby steps toward better eating. She knows firsthand that we can't reach the end of the journey without passing many milestones along the way, and that's why we need supporters who are patient and encouraging.

Continue reading at Hobo Mama »

What I'm learning through the Six Ingredient Challenge

2013-03-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

We're nearing the end of the Six Ingredient Challenge hosted by Hobo Mama and Anktangle!

We've been on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.

This week we're answering the question: What are you learning about your body through this challenge? Your family's rhythms and routines? Your feelings about food?

You can see all the responses to this question today at this link-up post at Hobo Mama and Anktangle.
If you're a blogger who's published a response, please post the URL in the linky below so we can visit to read. If you don't have a blog or haven't published a response, feel free to provide your answer in the comments on this post on either Hobo Mama or Anktangle.

Next week's FINAL writing prompt is at the end of this post along with posting instructions. There will be one more regular post about the Six Ingredient Challenge, and then next week's wrap-up will allow our participants to express any further thoughts they have on the struggles and joys of switching to more whole foods.

To read all the posts and recipes in the Six Ingredient Challenge, visit the main page for a list of reading resources!

My answer:

Daniel tasting his first food: avocado!

I feel like whenever I play around with changing the food I eat, I always end up learning similar lessons about what works best for my body. I'm finding that again with this challenge: the things I have learned about myself through practicing intuitive eating are still valid...but that doesn't mean I've completely learned the lessons yet!

For instance, every once in a while, I (gasp!) indulge a craving and eat a bunch of sugar. Afterward, I always end up feeling awful. Sometimes I get headaches, and other times I experience a "crash" from the sugar leaving my bloodstream. Early on in this challenge, I went out to dinner with some friends, and we decided to treat ourselves to ice cream for dessert afterward. Since we were at my (possibly most) favorite ice cream place, I ordered the thing I love there the most: an ice cream sandwich on gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with caramel and salted dark chocolate ice cream. Yum! It was really good.

However, I found myself not wanting to eat any more (feeling full, even) after about a third of the sandwich, so I simply stopped eating and brought it home for Jaymz and Daniel to share. It turned out great! I got to have a little bit of a treat without making myself feel crappy, and bonus: Jaymz and Daniel were able to share in the joy of having an ice cream treat that night, too (without any one of us totally overloading on sugar). I'm definitely going to remember this the next time I'm splurging on sugar: a little bit can be enough!

Another lesson I ~~can't quite get through my head~~ have been relearning lately is (and I almost can't believe I'm about to admit this because it's so terribly basic): I need to eat regularly. When I don't have enough to eat at regular intervals throughout the day, I simply don't have enough energy to be effective (at parenting, communicating, getting things done, etc.). So I can't skip meals, and I can't just have a snack when I really need a whole meal. It just doesn't work. (Is the tendency to skip meals a consequence of becoming a parent? I don't remember having such trouble meeting this basic need before I became a mother.)

Along the same lines, I'm noticing more and more how much (not) eating affects Daniel's mood and coping skills. He's not a particularly picky eater, but he doesn't have much patience for sitting at the table long enough to eat as much as he really needs to keep him going. (Hi, Mom! Sound familiar?) To help that, I've been being more intentional about a few things:

I sit down with him at the table for the duration of my meal (and sometimes much longer if he's at all interested in being at the table). Sometimes I get caught up in a task in the kitchen after I've set Daniel up with his food and I end up eating standing up while I unload the dishwasher. It's not the kind of intention around meals I want to model for Daniel, so I'm doing my best to show up at the table and enjoy eating together.
I keep protein-rich snacks (for both of us) in my purse. Stuff happens and I can't always get home at the usual time for a snack or meal, and it's important for us both to have something available to help bridge that gap. I usually carry around a KIND Bar, homemade granola bar, or some homemade trail mix, and a string cheese or crackers with peanut butter for Daniel. (He often eats my snacks, of course.)
I trust that Daniel knows his body best. This can be difficult sometimes, I'm not going to lie. I do put limits on the quantities of snacks and sweets available to Daniel when I know it's mealtime and he's hungry. But I'm trying my best not to ever force Daniel to eat anything he doesn't want to eat, and we don't do the happy plate club thing: he's supported to stop eating when he's full. We talk a lot around here about what our bodies need, and Daniel is encouraged to assess his body's needs in the moment when we're having a meal. He lets us know when his body is hungry/thirsty/full, and we do our best to respect and respond to those needs.

Those are just a few things I've been learning (again) about my body and how I can best support Daniel to honor his body's needs. I'm excited to read today about what the rest of the Challenge participants have learned about themselves and their families so far!

We hope you'll join us by blogging or journaling about the final writing prompt.

Start formulating your answers to Writing Prompt #7

What are your final thoughts and reflections as we wrap up this challenge? Do you have any newfound wisdom to share?

Writing prompt #7 guidelines:

You have till next week to think of a response to the prompt. Post your response on your blog anytime by next Thursday.
Next week's post (3/21) will have a writing prompt linky where you can link up your response.
If you don't have a blog, you can leave your response in the comments on next week's post (3/21).
Copy and paste the header below into your post to tag it as part of the challenge.
Responding to the writing prompts is optional and just a fun extra way to play along! We encourage you to at least think out a response.

Header code for your writing prompt #7:

Simply copy the code in the box and paste it into the html box of your blogging software to appear at the top of your response post.

<p>
<a href="http://www.hobomama.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"></a>Try the <a href="http://www.hobomama.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"><b>Six Ingredient Challenge</b></a> hosted by <a href="http://www.hobomama.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"><b>Hobo Mama</b></a> and <a href="http://www.anktangle.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"><b>Anktangle</b></a>!</p>
<p>
We've completed a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: <b>Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer</b>. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.</p>
<p>
This week we're answering the question: <i>What are your final thoughts and reflections as we wrap up this challenge? 

Do you have any newfound wisdom to share?</i></p>
<p>
You can <a href="http://www.hobomama.com/2013/03/six-ingredient-challenge-final-thoughts-reflections.html" target="_blank">see all the responses to this question on March 21 at the link-up post</a>.</p>
<p>
To read all the posts and recipes in the Six Ingredient Challenge, <a href="http://www.hobomama.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank">visit the main page</a> for a list of reading resources!</p>
<p>
<div align="center">
***</div>
</p>

Link up your answers to prompt #6!

What are you learning about your body through this challenge? Your family's rhythms and routines? Your feelings about food?

Changing Habits: Adapting Your Time and Budgeting at Hobo Mama

2013-03-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

We're into the sixth and final week of the Six Ingredient Challenge! If you haven't yet, remember to link up your responses to last week's writing prompt and read and reflect on this week's writing prompt sometime before Thursday. If you're joining us today, there's still a little time left to sign up to follow along with the challenge! There's no time like the present to start making healthful changes in how you eat.

Today at Hobo Mama, Lauren is talking about the toll eating whole foods can take on your time and your budget. She's noticed that prioritizing foods with fewer ingredients typically means more hours spent in the kitchen and more money spent at the store. However, she has some good news about what this means long-term.

Continue reading at Hobo Mama »

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

2013-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Making homemade mozzarella takes only half an hour from start to finish, and from a gallon of milk you'll get about a pound of delicious fresh cheese! It's relatively easy and really fun. Plus, you'll end up with at least three quarts of whey left over.

Read to the bottom for a list of some of the many different ways to use whey.

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole milk, any kind except ultra-pasteurized (full fat milk makes a softer, richer cheese; lower fat makes a harder, chewier cheese like string cheese)
1 teaspoon citric acid (at our grocery this is available in the bulk foods aisle)
¼ rennet tablet
¼ cup cool water
2 teaspoons cheese salt (sea salt flakes)

Additional Supplies:

A large pot
Slotted spoon
Thermometer
Microwave
Large microwave safe bowl
Gloves
Ice

Directions:

Pour milk into the large pot and affix your thermometer to the side of the pot. (I don't have a thermometer with a clip, so I was holding it in the milk when I wasn't taking photographs.)
Sprinkle the citric acid powder over the milk and stir to combine.
Turn the heat on medium and heat the milk to 90°F. Stir the milk intermittently while it's heating to prevent the it from burning.
While the milk is heating, dissolve the ¼ rennet tablet in the ¼ cup of cool water. You may have to stir it a bit to get the tablet to dissolve completely.
When the milk reaches 90°, turn off the heat and pour the rennet over the slotted spoon into the milk. Stir for 30 seconds, then let it sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, the milk should look like thick gelatin. Cut it into a grid pattern and then stir.
Use your slotted spoon to remove as much of the curd (the milk solids) as you can from the pot while leaving as much as the whey (the yellowish liquid) behind in the pot. Scoop the curd into a microwave safe bowl.
Pour back as much of the leftover whey from the bowl with the cheese curds as you can (I ended up using a strainer to help this process along) then heat in the microwave for a minute.
Remove from the microwave, stir, and drain off the liquid again. Return to the microwave for another 30 seconds.
Repeat the last step (perhaps only once more, maybe twice) until the cheese curds begin to stick together and look more stringy.
Add the cheese salt (a little bit at a time) and stir to incorporate it evenly throughout the cheese. Heat the cheese in the microwave for another 30 seconds. At this point the cheese should be completely stuck together and really stretchy.
Stretch the cheese with your hands until it gets shiny and smooth. The cheese will be really hot, so wear kitchen gloves to protect your hands.
When the cheese gets shiny, shape it into a log (or a round, or a puppy—whatever you're into) with your hands.
Place your log of cheese into a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes to let it cool down and solidify.
Remove from the water, slice, and eat!

If you happen to run into any trouble during your ventures into mozzarella-making, I can highly recommend the Mozzarella FAQ from cheesemaking.com. Stuff happens, but these folks are cheese experts!

So now you've got a pound of fresh cheese, and you've also got a heck of a lot of whey left over from the cheese-making process. I poured the whey from this batch of mozzarella back into the milk jug (after washing it out) for temporary storage.

But whatcha gonna do with all that whey? (Don't throw it away!)

A few uses for whey:

Making Bread (Sam's semi-whole grain flax bread recipe)
Probiotic Lemonade
Use in place of water when making homemade chicken stock to result in a richer stock
Use in place of stock or water when making soups or stews
Use in place of water or milk in bread recipes (including pancakes, muffins, biscuits, crackers, tortillas, etc.)
Add to protein shakes and smoothies for an extra protein boost
Use as a starter for lacto-fermentation
Use in your garden to combat powdery mildew
Add to a bath for glowing skin and hair
Use it to marinate meat or poultry before cooking (add other spices, too, if you like; here's one recipe for a whey marinade)
Freeze in smaller quantities for later use (lasts up to 6 months in the freezer)

(For more ideas about what do do with whey, check out Farmcurious and The Prairie Homestead.)

And thanks also to several cheese tutorials I referenced when learning how to make mozzarella, including Heart, Hands, Home, and Simple Bites.

#6IngredientChallenge: Budget Check-In

2013-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

Join the Six Ingredient Challenge hosted by Hobo Mama and Anktangle!

We're on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule:
Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.

This week we're answering the question: How's your budget? What money-saving strategies have you been employing?

You can see all the responses to this question today at this link-up post at Hobo Mama and Anktangle.
If you're a blogger who's published a response, please post the URL in the linky below so we can visit to read. If you don't have a blog or haven't published a response, feel free to provide your answer in the comments on this post on either Hobo Mama or Anktangle.

Next week's writing prompt is at the end of this post along with posting instructions.

To join in the Six Ingredient Challenge anytime during the six weeks, visit the sign-up page for a list of posts and to link up!

My answer:

I've been pleasantly surprised that our food spending has been less since the challenge began than it was before the challenge. I am really enjoying focusing on cooking and eating all our meals at home and I've even gotten back into a meal planning groove, too!

I'm also feeling a renewed inspiration (as I did before I did the minimalist food challenge) to better utilize the food we have, and not store (hoard) food for significant lengths of time. Jaymz and I spent some time this past weekend cleaning out, reorganizing, and cataloging our freezers so that we can use the food—and the space—more efficiently. I have to admit that I was really dreading the task, but I ended up feeling really good after all was said and done.

The next task on my list is to tackle our pantry and spice cabinets to clear out anything that's expired as well as to get an idea for what meals we need to make soon to use up older items. The great thing about eating food we already have is that it has only positive impact on that week's food budget, which gives me even more incentive to do some Spring (food) cleaning!

Earlier on in this challenge I wrote about some of my food shopping strategies, including methods I use to keep our budget in check while still buying foods that make our bodies feel the best they can. Check it out for some tips on saving money, and please share your ideas with me—I always enjoy learning new things.

We hope you'll join us by blogging or journaling about the writing prompt each week. We'll introduce the prompt each Thursday and host a link-up for the answers the following week.

Start formulating your answers to Writing Prompt #6

What are you learning about your body through this challenge?
Your family's rhythms and routines? Your feelings about food?

Writing prompt #6 guidelines:

You have till next week to think of a response to the prompt. Post your response on your blog anytime by next Thursday.
Next week's post (3/14) will have a writing prompt linky where you can link up your response.
If you don't have a blog, you can leave your response in the comments on next week's post (3/14).
Copy and paste the header below into your post to tag it as part of the challenge.
Responding to the writing prompts is optional and just a fun extra way to play along! We encourage you to at least think out a response.

Header code for your writing prompt #6:

Simply copy the code in the box and paste it into the html box of your blogging software to appear at the top of your response post.

<p>
<a href="http://www.anktangle.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"></a>Join the <a href="http://www.anktangle.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"><b>Six Ingredient Challenge</b></a> hosted by <a href="http://www.hobomama.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"><b>Hobo Mama</b></a> and <a href="http://www.anktangle.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank"><b>Anktangle</b></a>!</p>
<p>
We're on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: <b>Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer</b>. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.</p>
<p>
This week we're answering the question: <i>What are you learning about your body through this challenge? Your family's rhythms and routines? Your feelings about food?</i></p>
<p>
You can <a href="http://www.anktangle.com/2013/03/what-im-learning-through-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank">see all the responses to this question on March 14 at the link-up post</a>.</p>
<p>
To join in the Six Ingredient Challenge anytime during the six weeks, <a href="http://www.anktangle.com/2013/01/join-us-for-six-ingredient-challenge.html" target="_blank">visit the sign-up page</a> for a list of posts and to link up!</p>
<p>
<div align="center">
***</div>
</p>

Link up your answers to prompt #5!

How's your budget? What money-saving strategies have you been employing?

Homemade Salad Dressing Recipe Roundup

2013-03-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

I love salad, y'all. I've discovered this fondness for raw leafy greens in the past year or two, and I've been perfecting my ideal salad combinations ever since.

With the planting season beginning here, I can hardly wait until my lettuce, chard, kale, and spinach start popping up in the garden so I can again enjoy home-grown salads every day!

One thing for me that makes a great salad is variety: no iceberg-lettuce-only salads for me! I enjoy seeing and experiencing a variety of colors, textures, and flavors along the way. I like to add plenty of protein into my salads (in the form of leftover beans, sliced boiled eggs, cheeses, and leftover dinner meats) as well as some extra crunch from shaved carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, and of course: roasted squash seeds.

The other thing that tops off a great salad is the perfect dressing. Most salad dressings available in grocery stores are loaded with preservatives, salt, and other questionable (and unpronounceable) ingredients. But I'm here to fill you in on a little secret today: making salad dressing at home is very easy. Besides, who knows—you and your family members may just find you like the taste of whole ingredients even better than the processed store-bought versions.

Each of the salad dressings listed below has six ingredients or fewer (using the Six Ingredient Challenge guidelines) and is made with whole food ingredients. Most of the recipes are vegetarian, several are vegan, and they're all gluten-free. I've included allergy information (when applicable) at the end of each recipe's description. (Clicking the photos will redirect you to the individual dressing recipes.) Get ready to get your salad on!

Ranch

Ranch is my go-to dressing. I like this creamy, fresh version from Danielle of It Starts With Me. (Vegetarian; contains dairy, eggs.)

Caesar

Sam at Hobo Mama presents a foolproof yet complex Caesar dressing, made creamy by the emulsion of olive oil and egg yolks and seasoned deeply with garlic, anchovy paste, mustard, Parmesan, and other goodness. (Contains dairy, eggs, fish.)

Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Simple, delicious. Who can complain about this balsamic vinaigrette from Robyn of Add a Pinch? (Vegan)

Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yum, yum, yum! This dressing is a great way to utilize the abundance of basil in the Summertime. Thanks to ModFruGal for this delicious recipe! (Vegan)

Lemon Vinaigrette

Another lovely simple vinaigrette from What'sCookingAmerica. (Vegan)

Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette

A little heat, a little lime: this is my kind of dressing! Thanks to Life, Love, & Lavender for this yummy vinaigrette. (Vegan)

Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette

I'm so excited for strawberry season so I can try out this amazing looking strawberry vinaigrette from Rosemarried. (Vegetarian)

Italian (Olive Garden Copycat)

Most of the Olive Garden copycat recipes out there either use corn syrup or pre-packaged Italian dressing mix as one of the ingredients. But this one from Cheeky Bums Blog passes the Six Ingredients test! (Vegetarian; contains dairy, eggs.)

Bleu Cheese

This recipe from Kristi at Veggie Converter may be the winner for creamy dressing with the fewest ingredients (only 3!). I'm going to whip this up for Jaymz next time I make chicken wings. (Vegetarian; contains dairy.)

What's your favorite salad dressing? Share your favorite homemade salad dressing recipes in the comments!

First image adapted from "Salad Mix" by Tim Sackton on Flickr.
Unless otherwise noted, all other images credit the authors of the dressing recipes.