Homegrown and Handmade
If you feel like salivating over amazing Paleo food porn, you need to go check out Popular Paleo’s recipes! They are beautiful and delicious.
I was so excited when Popular Paleo asked me to do a guest post on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate“. I have ate some amazing, Paleo food the last 2 years…but I have a few favorites!
Click here to go to my guest post on Popular Paleo and find out what my favorite Paleo recipes are!
I’m breaking my summer blogging sabbatical because I’m feeling very emotional tonight and feel like writing. My son turns 2 tomorrow and my emotions are a whirlwind because of that. I’m not sure why…well, I have a few ideas why. First, he is my baby and 2 marks the end of “babyhood”. Second, as we draw closer to his birthday, we draw closer to the anniversary of my sister’s death.
I asked God so many times why He would take my sister from me at the time I had a newborn baby. It was nearly impossible for me to care for my kids while grieving the loss of my sister and without my husband (who was incredible through it all), I’m pretty sure I would not have endured it.
A friend of mine who also went through a intensely tough storm said it perfectly when she said that she felt like she was living a life of parallels with her newborn. I, too, have felt plagued with the same feelings. It has been 2 years of parallels…2 years of life and 2 years of death. At many times I felt so confused as to how I was supposed to embrace this precious new life that God had given me, while being broken and hurt over the life that I had loss in my sister.
I felt God whisper to me many times that out of death comes life.
He knew before my son, Frankie, was even conceived that my beautiful sister would pass away from this earth around the same time as my son’s birth. There was a purpose to these parallels and what is so beautiful is that I am only beginning to see it.
Frankie brings me so much joy that it is almost unbearable. The first year of his life I dealt with guilt over so many things…our broken breastfeeding relationship…laughing at him when I should be grieving…and, most of all, feeling as if the beginning of his beautiful life was overshadowed by my sister’s tragic death.
Frankie is my rainbow baby. He was conceived shortly after a miscarriage that my husband and I had. He was my promise to God that followed a very difficult season of our lives.
Frankie is my rainbow baby that followed a very difficult storm…a storm that raged so hard that it shook the foundation of my faith and brought me to my knees in desperation. God knew I would need Frankie. God knew what exact moment I would need him. He was there with me and there was a reason for it all.
Frankie suckled at my breast 10 minutes after I found my sister. I held him and gave life to him when death was surrounding me. And in the darkest hours, in the blackness of the night, Frankie was there next to me, wrapped in my body and warmth, reminding me that out of death came a much needed significant life.
When I look at Frankie, I think of the promise God gave Noah. He will always calm the storm.
So, today, and always, I celebrate my Frankie!
Happy Birthday sweet boy!
I asked a friend of mine, who happens to be a very good, experienced blogger, if she ever feels like just deleting her whole blog and giving it up. I’m not sure why, but these feelings have crossed my mind, daily, the past few months. I drudgingly find a little piece of inspiration and then try to hurry and write it down. I love writing, I love expressing myself, I love sharing recipes, and I love helping others who are changing their lives over to a healthier lifestyle. So, I’ve been confused about these conflicting emotions.
Why would I feel like this?
I am stretched too thin. I homeschool, I admin a Facebook Paleo group (1,500 members), I recently started a Meetup group that is growing really fast, I admin another Facebook group, I have my personal Facebook page AND my Paleo Facebook page…I spend hours blogging, answering blog comments, Facebook comments, and emails. I feel so attached to my computer and it really makes me sad. I didn’t want my life to become so techy. In fact, I got rid of my iPhone for this purpose. I can’t even keep up with everything in the social media world. I suck at Twitter and Pinterest…and can’t even fathom adding in Instagram.
I am insecure. Not only do I have all these things to keep up with, but I also feel the need to check out other Paleo blogs, follow them, like them, comment on them…it’s overwhelming. I never intended to grow much. But, now I feel the pressure to grow more, or as fast as other Paleo blogs. I feel the urge to create delicious recipes like his blog or her blog.
I never intended for this to be *just* a Paleo blog. I am Paleo. The Paleo Mama is Paleo but that is not all I am. I am earthy, natural, silly, honest, raw, and fun. I love to be outside and I dream of farming and living a simple life; I am a kid at heart. I feel limited right now but this will be changing in the future.
I care more about being involved in my family, then being involved in social media. This is no hit on ANY other bloggers or mothers who blog. Please don’t misunderstand me. If you know me, you know that I hate social media. It takes me days to respond to text messages sometimes…which is why I prefer a old fashion phone call! But, I constantly am feeling the pull between interacting with my kids and interacting with my followers. It’s stressful sometimes!
There’s just too little time and too much to do on this beautiful earth. I’d rather take the kids to the Springs then sit down and blog. It is summer here in Florida and I am a stay-at-home-mom to two beautiful children. My son is almost 2 and my daughter is 4. These early days are fast and fleeting. I want to be fully involved…fully there.
So, after much prayer and consideration, I am going to be take a summer sabbatical from blogging. I’ll still be here in small aspects…however, I feel like I need this time away from the computer and the chains of social media. I have a few commitments that I won’t neglect, like posting a review for Beyond Bacon and a few guest posts I agreed to do. I will be semi-active on my Facebook page and my blog will, definitely, NOT be going anywhere.
Here are some great Paleo blogs to follow:
I pray that this time away will bring even more inspiration when summer is over! Thank you for your love you have showed me and your support over the past year! May you be richly blessed this summer!
Until we meet again…
If you’ve been around my blog for a little bit of time, you may have realized that I don’t mind sharing my imperfections. I list them out on my post called, “I Am Not Perfect but I Am Enough” with transparency and honestly. Why not? I know we are all imperfect and I don’t try to live up to some fantasy housewife who has it all put together.
So, when it comes to eating Paleo, you should know that I am NOT perfectly Paleo. I know, I know…how can I call myself “The Paleo Mama” if I am not even 100% Paleo?
There are so many reasons why I cannot and never will be 100% Paleo. Before I go on to list them, let me disclose to you that this is just how it works for my family. I don’t encourage naughty Paleo behavior :). However, in all things: balance.
For my family, we are “80/20 lean“. I buy all Paleo foods and we eat almost 100% Paleo at home; so we allow our eating out and being out to fulfill the 20% of our foods that aren’t Paleo.
1. This is the most important reason and the one I want you all to remember, so I am putting it on the top. Life is TOO short to stress, CONSTANTLY, about food. I think it’s important to know why you are eating Paleo and what “bad food” does to your body. I think it’s important to eat real, unprocessed foods most of the time. Paleo is NOT A DIET. It is a guideline that you follow, not a diet for fast results. Results will come with diligence and when Paleo becomes a lifestyle to live by.
2. I realize that I will never have 100% control over my children and my husband’s food choices. What I can do is provide healthy options and encourage healthy choices. I respect my kids as a person and if they gag when eating cauliflower rice, then I’ll allow regular rice (just an example).
When we teach our children good habits, we want them to choose to do something because they want to and because they know it’s right. An example of this is if your child picks up a glass vase of yours and you say to him, “Put that down right now.” He looks at you and says, “You have to come get it from me.” What do you say at that point? My response would be, “I’m not going to come get it from you and I’m not chasing you. I want you to put that down because you choose to and you want to do what’s right.”
3. Paleo beer does not exist. I tried to get my husband to drink hard cider, but he ain’t havin it.
4. Three words: Chic-Fil-A. Chi-Fil-A is my survival fast-food restaurant. Sometimes we are out-and-about and just cannot make it home for lunch or forgot to pack a lunch. So, I get my kids the grilled chicken nuggets with a applesauce.
5. Two words: Ice cream. There is this awesome place near us that makes the most unbelievable ice cream. So, we splurge once every few weeks and share an ice cream together.
6. One word: Pizza. I cannot turn down a piece of NY style pizza. It is my weakness. I don’t eat pizza everyday. I have even stopped eating pizza once a week. However, I fully accept the repercussions of my pizza-eating actions that bring me a few uncomfortable hours of gas pain followed by a few trips to the bathroom. I accept it. I know it’s coming. And for me…unfortunately, it’s still worth it!
7. In social functions I do my best to provide a Paleo-friendly side (without announcing the Paleo label) and I encourage my kids to eat it. However, I don’t limit them, constantly, to just Paleo food. I monitor what they are eating and how much they are eating. I allow room for cake at birthday parties…especially if it is homemade cake!
8. THIS IS NOT A DIET! This is a lifestyle and for it to be long-term, you have to allow “indulgences”. They keep you balanced.
9. I love some of my childhood foods so much that when my mom calls me up and tells me she has made lasagna, I’m headed right over! I’m not gonna tell my mama no!
10. Paleo does NOT define who I am. I am more than what I eat. I do not live by a “Paleo Bible”. In fact, there are so many gray foods in Paleo…I’ve decided to stop questioning these “gray” areas so much. Do I eat sweet potatoes? Yes. Do I eat quinoa on occasion? Yes. Do I eat rice sometimes? Yes. Do I eat WHITE potatoes? Sometimes. ::GASP::!!!
11. There is no substitute for cheese. Trust me, I’ve tried them and they are not good. I like cheese on my chili PERIOD.
12. When I eat out, I may try something that is not Paleo. I try to choose healthy, Paleo options when I eat out, but if there isn’t something that is 100% Paleo, I don’t stress.
I want you to know, I don’t advocate any of these reasons. I encourage you to do the best that you can and to feed your family the best that you can. Paleo is MUCH different when you are trying to cook for a whole family. You really do need to leave yourself a little room for grace though, and realize that any step towards eating Paleo is better than what you were before!
We think of this little 20% as TREATS for our kids. We also have a reward system set up so that they EARN these non-Paleo indulgences!
I am not a health expert, provider, or doctor. I am a mom who has resourcefully sought every avenue of redemption when it comes to breastfeeding and saving my milk supply. I failed breastfeeding…but I did not fail my babies.
My first child, Arianna, was born February 2009. I KNEW I wanted to breastfeed because I had been a huge advocate for real food. Nothing comes closer to real food for a baby, than breastmilk. I had already started to ease my way into the natural way of living, so breastfeeding just felt right. My daughter was born and I held her to my breast. She nursed hard and her latch was tight. The first 3 months of nursing Arianna, I dealt with blisters, thrush, and one of my nipples completely fell off. Her tight latch made me quiver in pain when she latched on. I dreaded our nursing sessions and had a pillow I would bite to get through it. I had a lot of milk though so I just couldn’t justify giving up. Pumping made my blisters burst open so I avoided it. My lactation consultant looked at my bleeding nipples and told me it was ok to quit. I’ve done my best. I was stubborn and kept nursing my beautiful little girl.
At around the 3-4 month mark, my nipples healed and I had an amazing month of nursing my daughter. Then she started dropping weight. Her Pediatrician told me to keep an eye on it and come back in 2 weeks. She told me if I felt like I needed to supplement, then to not hesitate. I did hesitate….supply and demand right? I started supplements to increase my supply. I started eating oatmeal. I started pumping every 2 hours in the night. I took my daughter back after those 2 weeks. She dropped almost a pound. I cried. I failed. I couldn’t do the most primal thing we are supposed to do as mothers. I had to supplement with formula. That was all I knew and was told by our Pediatrician. Arianna eventually grew fond of the bottle loaded with milk and started slapping my breast away. I failed and at 6 months my daughter was 100% formula fed.
Two years later on July 22, 2011, my son Frankie was born beautifully and naturally into this world. I chose a natural birth to increase my success at breastfeeding. He nursed GREAT from the start. Then about a month in, I developed Mastitis in both breasts. I nursed through it. Another month went by and I developed it again in both breasts. I nursed through it again in pain. Then the phone call came…
My sister Dinah, who was 2 years younger than me, had tragically lost her boyfriend in a car accident. I drove to be with her. She was always my best friend….we were very close. As I shared her grief with her I continued to nurse my son, take my antibiotics to combat the Mastitis, and try to push through the pain of it all. My sister became overwhelmed with her grief and loss of her boyfriend, snuck away, and made the ultimate decision to take her own life.
I felt like I had failed my sister. I failed my daughter. And I was, slowly, failing my son.
No too long after we discovered what my sister had done, my son was hungry. He was 2 months old at the time. I held him to my breast and NOTHING came out. My supply had immediately tanked. The tragic death of my sister had taken the last bit of hope I had in breastfeeding. I tried everything to save it. I was back on the supplements, oatmeal, and pumping. I was grieving the loss of my sister and the loss of my milk supply at the same time. My son lost weight and my husband pleaded with me to end it. I felt like, once again, I failed at breastfeeding.
I have learned a lot during the time of being a mother, being around other mothers, and being in a community of women. There are other options when breastfeeding is impossible. But, seldom, you hear these options talked about. I want to share with you what I have learned. These real food solutions may show you that there is another way than formula.
1. My quick option, which is what I needed at the time, was to get my son on the best formula, Baby’s Only. Baby’s Only is the one that is recommended by the trustworthy, Weston A. Price Foundation if you are in a crunch. I ordered it from Amazon and prayed this would work. However, it didn’t work. Many have great success with this formula, but my son, was intolerable to it. We learned that my son was intolerable to any form of dairy formula.
2. My next course of action was to attempt to make a homemade Baby (Cow or Goat) Formula. There is a great recipe for a homemade Cow’s Milk Formula (can purchase the ingredients for this homemade formula in a bundle from here (I found them cheaper on Amazon though)but with my son’s reaction to the dairy in formula, I wanted to stay away from any dairy. So, I grabbed my Nourishing Tradition’s cookbook and checked to see how I could make a Goat’s Milk Formula. I did a little research online and found this awesome recipe that is adapted from Nourishing Tradition’s recipe. I could not find a local source for RAW goat’s milk, so I ordered the powdered Meyenberg goat milk. My son was on this formula for a few weeks. He did really good on it. He tolerated it MUCH better than the Baby’s Only and it was not that hard to make. I included the links for all the recommended brands from the Weston A. Price foundation.
Raw Goat Milk Formula 36 ounces:
Disclaimer: It must be said that you should consult your health care practitioner for any and all infant feeding questions, and be certain that you have taken all measures in order to increase your breast milk supply if in fact you are supplementing for lack of milk as I was. Since I had thoroughly exhausted my efforts at increasing supply, I sought the most high-quality alternative . Also, make sure to get a supply of goat milk from a farmer you can trust. If you must use pasteurized goat milk, you can do so as well.
2 cups raw goat milk (Why raw? Raw milk provides numerous enzymes, and allows the proteins to stay in tact while pasteurization renders them denatured. While raw milk will give optimal nutrition, it is my opinion that pasteurized and even powdered goats milk may be preferable, in some cases, to cow’s milk for children with extreme sensitivities.) I used the Meyenberg Powdered Goat Milk.
2 cups filtered water (As the child grow, you should adjust this water-to-goat milk ratio by increasing the amount of goat milk and decreasing the amount of water. This can begin gradually at about 9 months. If stools become more difficult for the child to pass, then increase the amount of water and try again in another month).
1/4 cup liquid whey from goat yogurt or kefir (contains lots of good probiotics and is very nourishing; making it more like breast milk. To get whey simply strain goat milk yogurt. (I get a lot of questions about the whey. You can also make it by straining plain cow milk yogurt, as long as there is no severe intolerance. Some people omit the whey, but I think it’s very important)
1 -2 tsp organic blackstrap molassas (start with less, add more if needed. This provides B-vitamins, iron, trace minerals, and helped relieve constipation.) (If stools are too loose, decrease amount!)
2 tsp Grade B Maple Syrup (adds carbs, necessary for brain growth)
1/4 tsp of bifodobacterium infantis
1/2 tsp high-vitamin cod liver oil
1 tsp unrefined sunflower oil for Vitamin E
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for monosaturated fats
2 tsp virgin coconut oil (this is very important, as it contains lauric acid which is a medium-chain fatty acid. It’s an important antiviral, antifungal that’s found in breast milk)
2 tsp nutritional yeast (this is also very important as it contains the B vitamins.
1/4 teaspoon NOW acerola powder
***Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Pour into individual glass bottles or one large. To warm, place in a pan of simmering water. Never use a microwave. This formula is best made daily to preserve freshness and to optimize nutrition.***
3. The last option that I stumbled upon was using donated breastmilk to feed my son. After talking it over with my husband, praying about it, and researching, we decided that donated breastmilk was the best option for our son. We would take precautions when choosing our donors, but the risk of feeding our son commercial formula was higher than feeding our son nourishing breastmilk. I started sharing my story and the world started sharing it. Mothers from ALL over the world came to my rescue. I, seriously, had enough breastmilk to last my son till he was 15 months old!!! My son was on donated breastmilk for a year! There was a few times that we couldn’t find a donor, and in that situation, we whipped up a batch of homemade goat’s milk formula. But, the majority of the time, we had an abundance of it. In this post I share my story and plea for breastmilk. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of how many mother’s selflessly gave me their precious milk to feed my son.
If you are interested in this option, here are a few places you can look into to finding local donating mothers:
A. Human Milk 4 Human Babies – each state has a Facebook page, so find your state and read the board to see if any mothers are looking to donate.
B.Eats on Feets – this is another Facebook page. So, find your state.
C. Milk Share – a small donation is required. I had more success with Human Milk 4 Human Babies and Eats on Feets…but this one is worth looking into if you are in need.
Every circumstance is different. Mine may look more extreme than yours. However, EVERY baby deserves the best. With all the formula recalls, and even a peak at commercial formula ingredients, you may want to choose something that is healthier and less processed for your baby.
Loosing my milk supply was devastating. It makes you feel so inadequate as a mother. Please don’t beat yourself up about it. We all do the best we can for our families. I pray that by sharing these 3 real food alternatives, you will research them more and then choose the best option for your baby. Also, be sure to reach out to your local La Leche League for assistance with nursing before giving it up. There are some great supplements out there that may give your milk supply the boost that it needs and the leaders are trained to help you with your breastfeeding experience.
And, please, if you didn’t read my latest post called, “I’m Not Perfect but I am Enough“ go read it! You are enough for your babies! In the words of a friend who made me cry this week, when I look at both my babies, I do not see a child who is lacking. They are healthy and full of love and life!
I love being a public blogger and having an active Facebook page. I love interacting with all of you! However, I understand that it may come off like I’m perfect. It’s easy for me to hide the mess on social media. So, let me just get this off my chest…I AM NOT PERFECT. In fact, I am nowhere near perfect. Yes, I make delicious meals for my family and snap pictures of them for all of you to see. Yes, I snap pictures of me and my kids playing together. Yes, I profess my love for my husband. One big, happy family, huh?
I clean my house once a week. I mop once a month. My house is dirty and there is dog hair everywhere. There is dried snot on the couch from one of the kids wiping their nose on it and boogers on the wall next to my daughter’s bed. Let’s not even discuss my son’s high chair. I am not perfect.
I rarely fold my family’s clothes. I let it pile up over several weeks and, eventually, my husband folds them. I feel guilty watching him because that’s “my job” as a mother and wife.
I yell at my kids. I get frustrated and scream. My 4-year-old looks at me like I’m the devil. I feel so un-perfect.
I put the TV on in the morning so I can enjoy my morning coffee. I sit down on the couch to drink it and baby brother brings me a book. I set it down and tell him “later”. I want to be alone in my coffee. Then I look at him trying to read it by himself and I feel it again…GUILT.
I drive-thru Chic-Fil-A, at least, once a week. ::GASP:: This is so not Paleo and I am such a bad mom for not having every, single meal planned out and perfected in health.
I set our family budget and then blow it. When I’m questioned about it I throw rapid fire because this is, once again, “my job” being questioned. “How dare you? Why don’t you try to make a budget and pay all the bills and then tell me how easy that is?!” I’m so defensive.
I have taken my kids to church just for the “free” childcare. This is so not perfect. God forgive me.
I let the kids run free in the house so that I can have “ME” time in the bathtub. When they ask to get in, I tell them it’s “mommy-time” and to let me have a few minutes by MYSELF. I get frustrated when they throw ponies and cars and choo-choos in the bathtub to get my attention.
I forget to feed my dogs some days.
I forget to feed myself.
I forget to feed my husband dinner when he get’s home from work late after the kids are already in bed. I’m sitting on the couch when he walks in…my “job” is over.
I forget to call my parents back.
I am too tired to have any kind of intimacy with my husband after “dealing” with my kids all day.
I need more “me-time”. I need more clothes. I need more fun with girlfriends. I need…I need…I need.
I need a life. I’m *just* a stay-at-home mom.
I feel overwhelmed with mommy guilt. I feel like a bad mom, a bad wife, a bad friend…a bad daughter.
But, you know what?
I am enough for my kids. They don’t see the dirty floors. They won’t remember wearing clean or dirty clothes. They remember all the new places I took them in the mornings, instead of cleaning. I am enough. I clean enough.
I am not perfect. But I am more than enough for my kids. They adore me. They cling to me like hemorrhoids. They love me. They love me because I do read to them. And it’s ok for me to have my coffee in the morning, but it’s also ok for my son to sit on my lap while I drink my coffee. I am not perfect…but, boy, can I multi-task. I can drink my coffee, read a book, hold my son, and flip the pages without spilling my precious coffee. I am awesome.
I am enough for my family. I provide the healthiest food I can and I don’t always get it right. I fail…I fail A LOT. But, I am enough. They are healthy. I am healthy. We are blessed to have more than enough food at our fingertips. God is enough for us.
I am enough for my husband. I love him more than enough. I am defensive because I want to be perfect for him. I am jealous because I feel so un-perfect. But, my husband adores me. I am enough for him and he is enough for me.
I am enough for myself. I don’t have to live up to Pinterest. I don’t have to make cute napkins. I don’t have to have every holiday planned out with crafts and gifts and food and themes and new traditions. I am enough.
YOU are enough. So, put down that mommy guilt and stop trying to live up to YOUR expectations. Being a mother is dirty…it’s gross…you catch vomit from your sick kids and poop from potty-training toddlers with your BARE hands. You cut 50 finger nails without cutting a one, and if you do, you know how to kiss it perfectly until the pain stops. You make cheap cake when you can’t afford to buy a “nice” one. You make forts out of pillows, fairy houses out of sticks. You decorate your walls with the writings of your kids…markings that remind you that these moments with them is short and fleeting. You know secret tickle spots and scars and dimples. You know how to tie your husbands tie and tie your little superhero’s cape. You can breastfeed your baby while walking through Target, pushing a cart, and trying on new clothes that may not fit like they used to. You can drive your car, hand your baby her binky, put on makeup, and sing songs with your kids ALL AT THE SAME TIME. You say words that heal…that smile…that bring a little bit more love into this changing world.
You make life happen!
You make everyday an adventure for your family. You are the glue.
You are beautiful to the bones. You are beautiful with your stretch marks, cellulite, and makeup-less face.
You make love happen.
YOU BIRTH LOVE and then feed it from your breasts.
You nurture. You nourish. You give the best and provide the best you can.
You pour out your life for your children. You kiss them perfectly and know how to sooth the deepest of pains.