Friday, October 31, 2014

just a moment

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.


Thursday, October 30, 2014

gearing up for a change

I'm getting ready to make a change in my diet again.

I've recently figured out a few things, and they need to get better.  I hope food can be my medicine.

1. I can remineralize my teeth.  I cannot afford a dentist, but I can afford to make my own tooth paste, take specific supplements and eat the proper foods.  I know I have cavities, and I've read a few articles/blog posts saying they can be healed (x-rays-cavities, remineralize, 6 months later, no cavities)  That sounds so woowoo writing it down!  But I just can't afford to get drilled!

2. My hormones are messed.  I knew this before getting pregnant.  I guess they where on track enough TOO get pregnant, so that's good.  But I've started feeling yucky again.  Anxiety, PMS, mood swings.  No period yet, but it's coming.

3.  My platelets are low again.  Not dangerous, but I'm bruising.  Pregnancy stabilized them.  ITP is an auto immune disorder.  I need to think about an autoimmune diet.

4.  IBS!  that too was settled while pregnant.  I'm cheesed that all the good stuff just didn't stay.  Anti inflammatory feeds please.

5. I just feel cruddy.  Fatigued, foggy brain, sore joints.


The first thing I'm going to look at is autoimmune diet.  It's been a long time since my body has been attacking itself.  I found an online seminar that is actually geared towards weight loss for women, but the description spoke about auto immune, anti inflammatory stuff so I thought I'd check it out.  I have some good resources from them.  It's mostly paleo.  I've done 'the paleo diet' before for about a month.  it's HARD, but I did feel pretty great.  I'll need J's help so I can do a lot more food prep. 

I'm planning on starting with no gluten (I should be staying away from wheat anyway as it bothers me), no added sugar and no cow dairy.  For this part of the transition I'm going to allow myself goat cheese and yogurt. 
Soon I'd like to start full paleo for breakfast and lunch, and 'just' good healthy whole foods for dinner.

I'm also not sure I should be going full out paleo/autoimmune while I'm still breastfeeding Bunny almost full time.  He's still getting 90% of his nutrition from me, and I don't want to detox too hard while that's happening.  I think that even if the toxins don't go into my breast milk, it will be hard on me to do that filtering.
So, baby steps. 
I need to make some sort of chart and see if all these special diets even can work together!

But I think for now, no gluten, no added sugar, low dairy, way more vegetables will help.

Friday, October 24, 2014

just a moment

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

knit along little doggy

Necessity is the mother of invention.

ok, so I didn't invent knitting, or this pattern I'm using.  But I do need mittens.  I have about 1/3 done.  Closer to 5/8ths I think.  Big needles and fat yarn makes quick work.


A photo posted by Becca (@beccalives) on

Friday, October 17, 2014

just a moment

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

get stuffed! (SQUASH!)

My new favourite meal is stuffed squash.

Sometime last year I had a hankering for stuffing.  I can't remember if I had come across a stuffed squash recipe first, or if I thought I was a genius, and then found out I wasn't the first.

J happens to think I make the best stuffing evar.  He's not a huge squash fan, but he raves about this!


Ingredients:

- 1 medium squash.  I used acorn, but delicata (aka sweet potato ) pepper or other squash with a good empty middle will work.  Even butternut would be fine, but you'd get a whole lot more squash.
- 2 raw sausages.  Any flavour you like.  When I make stuffing for a bird I like to use a milder flavour, but this time I used hot Italian.
- 1 apple or firm pear, cored and cubed (1 cm-ish)
- one small onion, or one leek, or a large shallot diced
- 1/4 cup pecan or walnut pieces.  Maybe even hazelnuts would work.
- 1 cup cooked rice OR 1 cup cubed bread
- stock or water if using bread and mix is dry

Method:

- Preheat oven to  350oF
- Cut squash in half
- Scoop out seeds, set aside if you want to keep them to grow or eat.
- Take casing off sausage and plop into mixing bowl
- Add in apple/pear, onion, nuts, rice/bread and smoosh with hands.
- If using bread and mixture is crumbly and not holding together add in some stock slowly until it forms a nice lump
- Divide stuffing into 2 lumps and stuff the squash. 
- Put squash in roasting pan (stuffing up), add an inch of water to bottom of tray, put lid on, or tin foil if the lid doesn't fit, or you don't have a 'proper' roasting pan.

I used purple rice!!


- Bake for um...I didn't check. (again).  Set your timer for a half hour.  Check the squash for doneness.  I found once the squash was cooked though, the sausage was also cooked.

We eat a half squash as a meal, but you could serve quarters or 8ths with other things too.

steamed up the camera!  YUM.

Monday, October 13, 2014

8 months old!?

Bunny turned 8 months old!

He's passed a few milestones.  In the beginning of the month he started moving objects from one hand to the other.  He has 3 teeth.  He also started the pincer fingers and likes to pick up, and play with little things.  Zipper toggles, buttons, and small litter on the floor.  (This mommy is becoming diligent at sweeping every day now!!)  A fly landed next to him and he tried to grab it.  That was pretty cute actually!  He is also having trouble picking up his shadow. 
He's not moving around a lot.  I think he's too heavy!  He's good at sitting!  He seemed to have gotten bored with it for a few days though, because he went on a sitting strike.  He quickly realized that laying there was even less fun.
He was born 7Lbs 2 oz, and 20 inches. Now? 30 Lbs and 30 inches.  He wears 18 month onsies and 24 month pants. Speaking of pants.  Even 24 month pants don't really fit!  So Oma and I made pant that do!
At night he's sleeping 11-12 hours, 1-6 hours at a time in bed with us.
We're not forcing the food stuff.  We feed him every day.  Um, let me clarify, Food other than breast milk!  I made leek and potato soup and he ate that up.  He's not a fan of cooked carrots (neither am I).  Oma and I fed him Amaranth porridge.  That had some interesting end results...amaranth doesn't digest fully, and we have amaranth porridge in the diaper...Grainy mustard anyone? There where amaranth seeds that just wouldn't come off his bum.  Gross.
We managed to go swimming at the end of August.  Bunny seemed to like to float.  We went with 2 friends who where/are pregnant (TJ was born at the beginning of September)

I've been feeling hormonal.  I've been dreading getting my period.  This spoken word made me feel slightly better about it:






I've lost most of my baby weight.  I attribute that to breastfeeding, walking LOTS, wearing a huge baby and eating healthy.  Now, don't get me wrong!  I have my bad days!  But in general, I eat well.

One thing I did not realize this. Even when you are not with your child you are still on duty. I'm sure it gets easier as they get older. I've been 'on' for Bunny's entire life. Feeling tired isn't just about the amount of sleep moms get. 
Here is the link to my Youtube channel.  I've up loaded a bunch.
 





























Happy Thanksgiving

Although there are undertones of unsettledness I feel about the origins of thanksgiving (I won't rage about it, it happened, it sucks), it does always serve as a reminder to stop and remember what we are thankful for.
It's also a really great reason to have a family gathering and eating turkey.  (even though I don't think I'll be getting turkey this year *sob*)

This year I am thankful for
- Bunny
- the amazing birth we had
- my families support in the early months.  Most specifically Sister S. who came from across the city (over an hour commute some days).
- J.  He tries so hard.  I don't  mean that in a patronizing way.  He's got a stressful job, a teen aged son giving him grief, an elderly mom who needs help, and a demanding wife.  He's pretty great.

We have a good place to live, heat, water, food.

Friday, October 3, 2014

oh, it's just a moment.

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.