I know, it’s been a while. I’m sorry things have been so slow around here, but I’ve been busy. Only a few weeks after starting my herbs for fertility, I found myself pregnant!

22 weeks pregnant!

The first trimester passed by quicker than a wink. The hubby and I went on vacation for two weeks, and since then it’s been all I can do to keep up with the garden, my doula work, and my crazy, incessant need to knit and sew for this little one. Now that I’m winding down my doula practice until after the baby is born, I have more time to…blog! So I’m hoping to gradually post here more often, although probably not with the same frequency as before.

Before anyone asks, we’re keeping baby’s gender a surprise. For one thing, we want to limit the number of ultrasounds we expose the baby to, and for another, we’d be thrilled either way! We are planning a homebirth with a local midwife whom I adore, and if all goes well, the hubby will be the one catching the baby.

My diet has remained similar to what it was pre-pregnancy, with one notable exception. In the lead up to getting pregnant, I realized that -unintentionally- my diet was quick low in carbs. Now, I know there are benefits to limiting carbs if you’re trying to lose weight, but that wasn’t the case for me. About a month before I conceived, I made a concerted effort to eat more healthy carbs. I didn’t load up on grains. Instead, I’ve been following Chris Kresser’s Healthy Baby Code – and can I just say? I feel wonderful. Pregnant and all. I do sleep more than I did pre-pregnancy, but aside from that I’m doing great, and I didn’t even have much of the loathsome first-trimester nausea. As a doula and yoga instructor, I also really like that the Healthy Baby Code includes a relaxation track. Chris clearly hasn’t overlooked the importance of rest and relaxation in a healthy pregnancy – you can’t rely on diet alone!

I intend to go into my supplement routine, and how that’s differed by trimester, in depth in another post. For now, suffice it to say I’ve kept up much of my herbal routine as described in the herbs for fertility post. I still do infusions of Nettle and Oatstraw (about 1 cup per day of each), and now use Red Raspberry and Alfalfa instead of Red Clover or Vitex. On top of that, my midwife has me drinking 3-4 quarts of filtered water each day. Especially through the summer, it’s important to stay hydrated.

So what have I been crafting? Loads. We’ll be using a mix of cloth diapering and elimination communication with this babe, and so far I’ve knit enough soakers and longies to last through at least the first 18 months. I’ve also sewn a few from upcycled felted sweaters I picked up at my local thrift store. I’ve also got a stockpile of knit sweaters, hats, socks, and blankets, and sewn cloth wipes, receiving blankets, a wrap-style baby carrier, and some diaper covers. I’m hoping to have tutorials and/or links to the patterns I used up on the blog soon!

piles of baby knits…

…and a sewing project or 12

That’s all for now. I’m happy to be back, and active on this blog again. More to come!

I don’t know about you, but some days lately I feel like we skipped straight from autumn to summer. We’ve had highs in the mid-80s (~30 degrees Celsius), the trees are all blooming, and the tulips have been up for weeks. So, while mid-March would normally be early in the year for an ice-cream recipe, this time I feel it’s due.

I use raw, grassfed cream to make mine. It’s thick, so I don’t need to add any type of thickener (arrowroot, etc.) to it. Occasionally, I’ll actually dilute my cream with some raw milk, just so that the paddles of the ice-cream maker won’t have too tough a job. (Am I the only one who is perpetually empathizing with her kitchen equipment?)

Ingredients:
- 3 cups raw heavy cream (or 2 cups cream, 1 cup raw milk)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or sweeten to taste)
- 1 tbsp. real vanilla extract (learn to make your own here)

Whisk the ingredients well together, and pour into your ice cream maker of choice.

Voilà! Makes a perfect treat after working all day out in the garden…even if it is still March.

This post was shared at Real Food Wednesday.

Sardines are one of the most cost-effective proteins out there. Packed with fat soluble vitamins, omega 3s, EPA and DHA, calcium, iron,  and CoQ10, they really are hard to beat.

Yet, sardines aren’t exactly a darling of North American cuisine. Their popularity pales in comparison to canned tuna. My personal belief is that this is simply to do with getting accustomed to the taste – and the only way to do that is to try them!

This recipe makes a good appetizer for two people (double or triple the amounts if you have more people to feed).

Ingredients:
- 1 125g/4.375 oz. tin of sardines, preferably sustainably wild caught in extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- good sprinkling of dried oregano
- sprinkle of mustard seeds (optional)
- salt and pepper

Place the sardines on a plate or shallow bowl and pour the dressing ingredients over top. It is that easy!

Side note: Sardines are also great with my real primal caesar salad dressing poured over top. Anchovies on sardines? Yes.

This post was shared at Monday Mania and Real Food Wednesday.

I hope you’ll excuse my relative absence these past two weeks. I’ve been a busy lady. First, I learned (after being on the waitlist for nearly two years!) that this year I got a plot at our local organic community garden. I’m SO excited, I can’t even begin to tell you! I’ve spent a fair amount of time there  this past week, prepping the soil and getting ready for some spring planting.

The week before last I was away at a midwifery workshop. I learned a ton, and am excited to share that knowledge with you all over the coming months. One woman at the workshop was an herbalist who specialized in women’s health. She and I spent a lot of time together, and I’m happy to share some of what I learned from her today in this post.

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Herbs can generally be divided into four categories: Nourishing, Tonifying, Stimulating, and Poisonous/Potentially poisonous. Nourishing herbs are the safest, and side effects are rare. They can be eaten as food or brewed into teas or infusions. Tonifying herbs should be used in moderation (usually not daily), but can be used over the long term. Their effects tend to build over time.

Some nourishing herbs that help to enhance fertility are:

Oatstraw (avena sativa) - helps to balance hormones and quell anxiety. The infusions are a rich source of B vitamins (except B12), calcium, and magnesium.

Nettle (urtica dioica) - one of the most nourishing plants on the planet, and particularly good for the adrenals. Infusions are incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals (particularly trace minerals such as selenium, sulphur, zinc, chromium, and boron). You want to use the leaf of the plant.

Red Clover (trifolium pratense) - particularly nourishing to the glands and nervous system, red clover also helps to balance hormones, due to its high content of isoflavones. You want to use the flower of the plant.

One other herbs that is popular for hormonal balance and fertility promotion is Chasteberry, also known as Vitex (agnus castus). This is a tonifying herb, which stimulates the pituitary gland, responsible for the balance of estrogen and progesterone in the female body. It nourishes the gland so that it can better regulate itself. In our culture full of phytoestrogens in soy and BPA in plastics, the effect is usually lowering estrogen in the first half of a woman’s cycle, and raising progesterone in the latter half. It also helps to plan conception, as it normalizes ovulation. This herb is best taken as a tincture (more on how to prepare that coming in a future post) – capsules and teas won’t provide the full effect. It may take up to three cycles to see an effect.

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So, how to make infusions of Nettle, Oatstraw, and Red Clover?

1. Take 1 oz. (approximately 1 cup) of the dried herb (I buy mine from Mountain Rose Herbs), and place it in a quart-sized mason jar. Do one jar per herb. You do not want to mix them all together.

2. Fill the jar with boiling water, and let it infuse for a minimum of 4 hours. 8-12 hours is best. I make mine in the evening and let it infuse overnight.

3. Strain the liquid, making sure to squeeze any remaining liquid out from the herbs themselves. You can drink a cup or more of each herb per day. Store whatever you don’t drink that day in the fridge – chilled, the infusions generally last about 36 hours.

Once the infusions are finished, you can mix them all together to drink them, but I find it more interesting to enjoy the distinctive taste of each one separately. I find them pleasantly “earthy,” but if they’re too much for you, you can stir in a bit of raw honey.

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While we’re on the topic of infusions…

I’m sure many of you are familiar with “NORA” tea for pregnancy (Nettle Oatstraw Red raspberry Alfalfa). Did you know that by brewing them all together, and making it in tea form (rather than as an infusion), you’re only getting a small fraction of the benefit from each of the herbs?

Brew these herbs for pregnancy as separate infusions as well! You’ll see a much greater benefit this way.

This post was shared at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

It’s been unseasonably warm in the mid-Atlantic states, and all this warmth and sunshine has me dying to get some seeds in the ground. I’m trying not to get ahead of myself – after all, there is still some risk of a frost. This is, however, the traditional time of year for getting seeds started off inside, and I spent a good part of Sunday satisfying my green thumb and doing just that.

So you’ve planned your garden and ordered your seeds. The next step is to sort through your seed packets and see which ones are best sown directly in the ground, and which need to get a head-start indoors before spring transplanting. Usually this is part of the instructions on the packet.

You also want to consider the growing time for the plant and when you want to harvest it. Sorrel, for example, is a great early spring green which I’ll sow right away. Collards, on the other hand, will wait until June or July.

If you’re succession planting, you don’t need to start too many of each seed off right away. Plant a few now, and a few more every two weeks. This system works very well for lettuces and greens, so you’ll have a constant supply throughout the warm months.

To get your seeds started indoors, you’ll need:

- a seed tray
- some egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, and/or peat pots
- potting soil (I use a compost and manure based mix with vermiculite and granite)
- a watering can or spray bottle
- water!

I use cedar seed trays instead of plastic, so I put a double layer of paper towel in the bottom of them to hold in the moisture and protect my tables and windowsills. Next, I cut the toilet paper rolls in half and arrange the egg cartons and rolls in the seed tray, filling them with potting soil as I go. Don’t compact the soil as you fill each compartment.

Moisten the soil with water. I use a spray bottle for this, as I find many watering cans can be too harsh, especially for small seeds. Again, be careful not to pack down or compact the soil.

To sow the seeds, I use my little finger to make tiny indentations in the surface of the soil in each compartment. The depth depends on the sowing instructions. Lettuces, for instance, are typically planted very close to the surface (1/8″ or so), whereas kales prefer to be in a bit deeper – around 1/4″. Gently sprinkle in 2-3 seeds per hole, and cover lightly with soil.

Give the plant trays another spray of water as you finish sowing your seeds. Make sure you label what you’ve planted where. (I find it easiest to do this with little popsicle sticks in the ground.)

Over the coming few days, the seeds should germinate and you’ll begin to see little sprouts. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked, by watering on a regular basis. Once the plants have their first pair of true leaves (the second set of leaves to appear), pick the one in each compartment that looks strongest and cull the other(s). This will allow the plant all the space it needs to thrive.

Stay tuned for more on transplanting your indoor seed starts over the next few weeks!

When entertaining, I tend to focus my time and energy on preparing the main course. Desserts don’t have to be complex, however, to win over a crowd. These are two of my go-to desserts for an informal evening – both are delicious, ridiculously simple, and require only two ingredients. Sometimes simple really is better.

Cinnamon Oranges

My Mum used to make these on Christmas morning, alongside a delicious Eggs Benedict. They’re a wonderful treat.

To prepare, slice the peel and slice the orange width-wise. Arrange the slices on a plate, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. You can drizzle with a bit of maple syrup, as well, if the oranges are very tart. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Raspberries and Cream

This one is really straightforward. Gently rinse the raspberries, and serve alongside some nice grassfed heavy cream. If you want to make it more complex, prepare some clotted cream in advance, and serve with that instead.

This roast pork is just about as easy as it gets. It takes just a few minutes to prepare, and can roast away in the slow cooker while you go about your day.

Ingredients:

- 1-2 lb. pork roast (I used a pork shoulder)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 apple
- 1 cup apple cider (either alcoholic or non-alcoholic works, depending on your preferences)
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. dried sage
- salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Rub the sage, salt, and pepper into the pork roast until it’s well covered. Place the roast in the slow cooker.

2. Pour the apple cider and apple cider vinegar into the slow cooker, allowing it to pool around the roast.

3. Chop the onion and apple, and place the slices on top of and around the pork roast.

4. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. When done, the meat should fall away from the bone easily. Enjoy!

This post was shared at Real Food Wednesday and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

This is an old recipe, handed down from England to Canada, and passed on from generation to generation since. Not overly sweet, but enticingly aromatic. While obviously not “low-carb,” white rice is largely considered a safe starch by the likes of Paul Jaminet, Matt Stone, and Chris Kresser in his Healthy Baby Code.

Ingredients:
-  2/3 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups heavy cream (if yours is as heavy as mine, you may need to dilute it with whole milk slightly)
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

1. Put the rice and water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until 1/2 to 3/4 of the water is gone.

2. Stir in the cream, maple syrup, and raisins. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes. You’ll want to stir it pretty frequently throughout this period – the rice likes to stick to the bottom of the pan.

3. When the rice has incorporated the cream well, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Serve immediately and enjoy!

This pudding will also keep well in the fridge, and is just as delicious cold.

This post was shared at Monday Mania.

I’m doing it. I’m bringing back the handkerchief.

Once a staple in every respectable man or woman’s pocket or purse, handkerchiefs have long been replaced by disposable kleenexes. Not only are these rough on the nose, they’re hard on the environment and expensive over time. Since I’ve started using handkerchiefs, I’ve really come to appreciate them. Big, fluffy, and soft, they envelope your nose and feel luxurious. They’re pretty as well.

Handkerchiefs are easy to make yourself if you’re handy with a sewing machines – all you need to do is hem a piece of nice cotton flannel. You can easily jazz them up with a bit of embroidery.

If sewing is not your forte, there are a number of vendors on Etsy who make and sell handkerchiefs. Pleat made the lovely one pictured above (apologies for the dark picture – it was a dark and rainy day). They also make cloth menstrual pads, which I also use and adore. FYI – cloth pads are wonderful for postpartum mamas. Nobody wants to be stuck in disposable pads constantly.

The best part? Until April 9th, Forgotten Domestic Arts readers can get 20% off their order from Pleat by using the coupon code here.

Do you use a hanky? Want to help me (re-)start the trend? Join in in the comments!

We got a bunch of fresh, crisp, and pepper-y radishes the other day in our CSA box. What better to do with them than to make a sweet spring salad?

For the salad:
- 1 bunch fresh spring baby lettuce
- 1 bunch radishes
- a handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 small tin anchovies (I really like anchovies – if you don’t, either use less or skip them)

For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. grainy mustard
- generous grating of black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!

This post was shared at Fight Back Friday.