I'm back to crocheting . . .

I've been working on this baby blanket. I'm 1/3rd of the way through. I'm using some cotton I got for a steal at the 99 cents store. It's a variegated yellow and white that I have tried to use in two previous projects. It always looks too busy. But it lends itself perfectly to this star afghan pattern.

While crocheting it, I kept thinking about the bedspread that is currently on our bed. It is a handwoven cotton spread that I've had for at least 15 years. And it looks it. I'd love to crochet a bedspread and I even have a book of vintage bedspread patterns that I scored for maybe 25 cents at the thrift store. But I just know it would take too long and I don't have the ability to focus on the intricacies of lace crochet. They're so lovely though! Check out some free ones I googled: Four Leaf Clover Bedspread, Rose Bower Bedspread, Wakefield Bedspread, Star Popcorn Bedspread. and Pineapple Bedspread. One day the babies will be grown . . . LoL.

How cool to dress the bed with something your own two hands made!

Ed.09/07/08: Just when I had given up the hope of crocheting a bedspread, I got this free pattern from Lion Brand Yarns in my inbox. It's crocheted with bulky yarn and a J hook. I think I could handle it! I don't know if I'd use Homespun (me and acrylic ain't friends) but I certainly could find some other natural fiber yarn. Yay!!

We never order take-out

Not that I don't want to order take-out. Trust me. There are days when I'd really love nothing more than to sit back and just wait for dinner to arrive, piping hot. But since I really strive to provide my family with foods that are made with love and from scratch, I'm not willing to order take-out. Shoot, my one concession is that we only eat out 3-4 times a year at my favorite Ethiopian restaurant Awash. DH prefers to eat at home and I prefer to know exactly what is in the food we are eating. As health-conscious folks, it's imperative. So anyway, there's a dish that I've been making recently in the past weeks that is a *huge* hit with the family. Even little Z1 will wolf down General Tao's Tofu. It is so good and tastes exactly like Chinese take-out food. And it is really easy to make although somewhat time-consuming. If I want dinner on the table by 6:30, I generally start at 5:15 or so just to make sure I don't feel rushed. It has become our favorite dish to have on Tuesday (my DH's day off). We eat it over whole wheat pasta, soba noodles or brown rice (we like it over rice the best). I now add way more vegetables than the recipe calls for: green and red peppers, mushrooms, peas, etc. because I double the sauce which makes the dish really lends itself well to being a chock-full-of vegetables dish. Which is great if you an anti-veggie toddler. I also add sesame seeds and roasted cashews or peanuts. The tofu that I use for the dish has been frozen, defrosted and pressed.

Quick breakdown of how I prep tofu to be used in dishes. I like to use extra-firm tofu that's been frozen and defrosted. It gives the tofu an even firmer texture. I have some towels that are exclusively for tofu. I wrap a brick of tofu in the towel and place it on the sideboard of my sink. I put my heaviest pans on top of it (4 cast iron pans) and let it alone for about 20 minutes. I then unwrap the tofu and it usually very dry to the touch. I then cube it or cut into slices--basically cut it however I'd like it to be used for the dish.

In other news from my kitchen, I've perfected tempeh bacon. I use the basic recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance except that I add some onion powder, garlic powder, a little more sea salt, maple syrup and instead of apple cider, I use apple juice + apple cider vinegar. It comes out really well. Next time I make it, I will record the exact measurements and post the recipe here.

The Motherload of Green Smoothie Recipes

70 Green Smoothie Recipes. I can't wait till that Vitamix gets here. It still hasn't shipped!!! I will be calling tomorrow.

Z1's Dreadlocks

We cut his locks on Friday, August 29, 2008. We just used scissors. No razor even though his dad is a professional barber.

It was a really difficult decision but we did it. Lots of things came into play

I'm going to be very honest here.

When Z1 was born, I was in a lot of ways much more radical and much more idealistic in my thinking. I had a list of things I just absolutely wouldn't do. But the realities and practicalities of life have an uncanny way of mediating one's idealism.

Anyway, as a first time mom, I did the best I could. The best I knew how. I think I was washing Z1's hair once every two weeks or so. For the first couple of months, I combed it out (sometimes with a comb and sometimes with my fingers) which he hated and which his dad wasn't too fond of. Then I just stopped manipulating it at all. I just washed it and oiled it and the locks started to form. I wasn't as meticulous as could be about getting out lint. I should have washed it more often. I shouldn't have used heavy oils like shea butter. I shouldn't have combined some locks the way I did. But I did. And Z1's locks had so.much.buildup in them. It was actually a bit overwhelming. One morning, I washed his dreads, did an apple cider vinegar rinse on them and just kept squeezing the locks. More and more stuff kept coming out. Eventually, I got the locks really clean but there was still this white stuff. So I took a tweezer and started to pick at it. There was "stuff" all throughout the lock such that I knew that nothing would take it out. I had been contemplating cutting them for a while now but this made me really consider it. Because no matter how clean the locks were, they looked dirty.

And since they were freeformed/organic, you can imagine people's reactions at time. I'd caught some sideways glances from people when they looked at my son. Saw looks of disgust. Pity. I'd even seen people ostracize him. A little baby like him. For his hair. And so that tore at my heart strings and made me wonder if wearing such a significant crown as dreadlocks should be placed on such a small child. Especially when the dreadlocks are organic. Twisted, styled locks, I would venture to say, are much more accepted in this society than "bongo natty".

Add to that the fact that I worried that he would feel alone. There are a few RastafarI youth but living where I live, he was generally the only child with dreadlocks. And if there were children with dreads, they had styled dreads. He never really got to see kids that looked like him except for once or twice a year at "cultural" events like the street festival and such as well as Nyabinghi.

Of course, the hubby, who is remarkably nonplussed by others' thoughts about him and his family (which I absolutely love and respect), said that if others treated him differently for something so superficial as his hair, they don't deserve the honor of knowing and being loved by Z1. About feeling like an outsider because he had locks, DH pointed out that he himself had locks so if nothing else, Z1 would know he looked like dad. He had a good point. I was ready to keep the locks.

But the buildup. Geez. And I know it's my fault that his locks had so much of it because I am the one who primarily cares for the kids. I mean, I've learned so much now from Nappturality.com and from my own experience, that now I know what to do. I know his hair needs to be washed at least once weekly. Maybe twice in the summer. I know that to counteract dryness, I should use conditioner (not wash less)--diluted conditioner, that is, because full-strength conditioner is difficult to rinse out of locks completely especially on a squirmy child. I now know to use lighter oils like coconut and jojoba (which work well to hydrate the hair in conjunction with a good conditioner). I just know now.

So his hair is a short afro right now. It's not combed out or anything. I'm trying to feel out how we're going to approach this second set. If I'll be more conscious about making the locks even. On his last set, some were large, others small. Some were flat, others round. I know that they will be organic again, i.e. no twisting but I want to pay closer attention to how they are formed and to keeping them really clean and lint free with frequent washings, conditioning and light oils. I've noticed that it's very dry/lackluster right now so I'm going to start giving him cod liver oil again and really pay attention to his protein and to being consistent with his multivitamin.

Oh, I miss seeing his hair flying when he's playing. I worry what others who follow the same trodition (RastafarI tradition) will think when they see him. What they will say. I try to keep the hubby's words at the forefront of my mind though when these thoughts surface, "He's my son and I do what I feel is best for him. When someone else clothes and feeds him, I'll look for their input. Till then, whatever, man." Spoken like the philosopher he is. <3

Got a Vitamix!!

I finally purchased my factory-refurbished Vitamix blender. I'm so happy. It will make preparing my daily green smoothies so much easier. Easier = more likely to do it. :)

Labels

On one of my message boards there's a discussion going on about the label "vegetarian" and the way it is used. It is a conversation that is rehashed time and time again and the main idea is that it makes like so much more difficult for true vegetarians when folks who eat fish label themselves as vegetarian.

I'm the first to admit it. Six or seven years ago when I first made the transition to strict vegetarianism (I used to call myself "vegan" even though I still used some animal products like leather and wool especially for my footwear, outerwear and crafting), I found it wildly offensive that people just had no idea what I ate. I would be in social settings and someone would offer me food and I'd say, "Oh, well, I'm vegan" and they'd try to offer me some kind of cheesy dish or something with eggs or say "But you eat fish, right?" I would even balk at "so-called" vegetarians who did eat eggs or dairy because they were not pure vegetarians like I was. I was haughty and self-righteous. To the point of even holding disdain for omnivores (who I maliciously called "meat-eaters") and all those who were not so advanced in their vegetarianism as I was.

So when I hear vegetarian folks complaining that people who call themselves vegetarian but eat fish make it difficult for "true" vegetarians, it really pulls me back to those days. Because I know it's not true. I've been through such a journey that I've come to realize that it's really just an argument to prove that I am true (read: better) and you are not. In actuality, what someone else labels his or herself really has no bearing on me.

It makes me think about a few years ago when newspapers declared that a RastafarI woman had won the Miss Jamaica pageant. I was so incensed that one who would dare label herself as RastafarI would ever find herself in something as vain and demeaning as a beauty pageant. What RastafarI principle was she upholding by being a pageant contestant?

Fast forward to today and, well, it doesn't really phase me. Because, in all truth, I cannot (and should not) define what it means to be [insert label here] to anyone else. I can only define myself for myself.

I mean, I get that some folks call themselves vegetarian to try to be hip, cool, "in" or "green" or whatever. I get that it is annoying to hear someone who eats fish and even chicken calling themselves vegetarian. But it doesn't have any bearing on me and who I am. I am happy to explain for the gazillionth time that I don't eat x, y, or z even if your "vegetarian" sister does. I realize that being vegetarian is outside of the mainstream or the norm and since most people don't put that much effort in finding out about the "other", I just can't be that mad about it or invest that much energy into it. It's one of the most useless exercises to try to get people to fit into your idea of what holding that label should be.

It's like being told you're not "Black" enough.

When you define yourself for yourself, it really doesn't matter what labels others give you or what labels others give themselves. It gives you f*r*e*e*d*o*m*. Especially when those labels that others have given you just don't or won't fit you anymore. When you define yourself for yourself, you are free to continually bust up and disregard those preconceived notions (which is really all a label is). You are free to work on being yourself. Authentically.

When Rain Clouds Gather

by Bessie Head. I bought this book sometime when I was in college for a class. I haven't the faintest remembrance of what class it was I bought it for but I finally took it off my bookshelf and read it. I am definitely big on African authors especially women. Amazon has some good reviews so I won't waste space giving details here (ignore the negative ones because they are really completely off base). But I will say this: it was a good read. A bit rambly at times but overall, just an enjoyable, not-too-long novel. I really loved the way it ended. Tragedy, yes, but love and healing prevails. I also really appreciate that Ms. Head showed that the oppression of Black people sometimes (and quite often) is perpetrated by other Black people.

Find the link to the text here if you don't mind reading the whole thing online.

I've borrowed The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy from the library. It's not an express loan so I'm going to see if I can get through it.

Went to see a holistic loctician today

Just a quick note . . .

It was a good experience. Yendys offered a few suggestions for me. Some I had already known like that I need to take a Vitamin B complex and increase my intake of raw greens. I have a Vitamin B complex that I've been taking sporadically. I really hate to take pills especially because it seems that I pee most of it out. I am going to see if I can find a liquid B complex--one specifically formulated for stress. I am already committed to including much more greens in my diet. She also thought that I might have some issues with my liver/elimination which I already knew but it was good to have some confirmation. Once I wean Z2, I am definitely going to do a total body cleanse. Another suggestion Yendys made was to take a chondroitin/glucosamine supplement to help balance out the sugar in my body and red clover as just an overall tonic. She told me to keep up with the apple cider vinegar rinses and offered me two products (a therapeutic scalp rinse and an oil she makes herself with fresh herbs).

She also thought that maybe I'm not getting enough protein. I've had the suspicion for a long time that I do no properly assimilate plant protein. My body must be able to use it somewhat because I'm not wasting away and I successfully nursed Z1 and am nursing Z2 with no undernourishment issues but the fact that my skin and hair are just so lackluster . . . I just can't seem to wrap my head around eating flesh again. I know, labels take away your freedom but I've just been vegetarian so long that now, it is a large part of who I am. A part I'm not ready to let go of yet. But, it seems, I really need to.

It pains me to think of having two pots on my stove cooking--one with flesh and one with veggies. I love the idea of a unified, peaceful (death-free) kitchen. Man, in your 20s, ideals die and they die hard.

I can't say I feel overly hopeful or encouraged in any way after seeing Yendys. But it was a positive experience and I definitely want to put aside some money every few weeks so that I can see her at least four times a year. Her energy is inviting and warm and she could only help to heal my hair.

Do I ever write "a quick note?" You should know better!

Red Lentil Soup with East Indian Spices (Masoor Dahl)

A favorite around here. I made it for dinner the other night when I had my friend and my sister over. I thought I'd share the recipe. It's very simple to make and delicious. It is so filling when paired with a well-dressed salad and freshly baked bread.

I like to add chopped green vegetables to any soup I am making because Z1 does not like greens at all. This time I added frozen chopped spinach but chopped kale works great too. I generally never use plain water to make soups--I add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable broth powder. You could use vegetable broth.

The salad was made with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers all from the farmer's market. I dressed it with a simple vinaigrette: 1 to 1 apple cider vinegar to extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, some Dijon mustard and maple syrup. I'd baked the bread the day before so it was still very moist and fresh. (Yes, that is Earth Balance slathered all over the bread. I tried to do olive oil and salt on bread the other day instead of EB. Not a good look. So I'm taking suggestions on what could replace EB in my life.)

Everyone really seemed to enjoy the dish and I just thought it would be a great recipe to share with everyone because of how easy it is.

I've been laboring over my children's book

Which is a retelling of a story I heard as a child. Only to find that someone has already retold it and published it.

I keep thinking that maybe my retelling is fresh enough and different enough that it will be published also. I put the book on hold at the library. I'm anxious to read it.

But I seriously have lost my momentum.

And I honestly feel trapped in mediocrity. I feel like the only thing I'm good at is being a mother and I have my days when I doubt even that. I don't feel creative. I don't feel innovative. Just mediocre.

I also need to find a way to bring it about $800 extra a month. Thinking about babysitting. Thinking about some other things.

I am scared because I know I never want to go back to teaching at least not while the kids are young but I still have the student loans from the degree hanging over my head.

And the car. DH has expressed that the payment is just too hefty. It was manageable when we thought I would be working full time but now, it's just hefty.

So an extra $800 should make things comfortable.

Publishing the books just doesn't seem like a viable place to put my hope for making a living. I don't even want to look at my manuscripts.

Ugh.

12 Steps to Raw Food by Victoria Boutenko

Is a *huge* disappointment. I should have waited to get it from the library (it had been on hold for several weeks).

The majority of the book is devoted to the "why" of eating raw foods and not the "how" as the book's title suggests. Boutenko spends endless chapters providing justification for eating a raw food diet, trying to establish the superiority of a raw food diet over a cooked food diet. Other parts of the book try to establish the spiritual connection to eating raw foods and suggest ways to make raw food eating a part of a complete lifestyle overhaul. Not.what.I.was.looking for.

I think the book should be titled Why and How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food and subtitled 12 Steps to Raw Foods. Boutenko basically approaches eating cooked food as an addiction (instead of as a learned behavior) and so she tries to provide a 12 step plan similar to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Maybe 10 pages are actually devoted to how to go about eating raw food.

Okay, I've already been down the dogmatic diet road with strict vegetarianism. I don't need or want any more lectures!!

My Baby's Birthday!

Z1 celebrated his third birthday on Sunday, Aug. 17. I can hardly believe he's such a big boy. He had a *great* day. I bought him a couple of balloons (two with a basketball and baseball which he's really into right now). He ended up taking those two outside and losing them (even though I told him that would happen). We also got him a Little Tikes Basketball Hoop and he L O V E S it. Oh my goodness. It's the single best toy we ever got him. We had his favorite type of cake--chocolate cake and he was just in heaven. He also got a water table which he spent almost an hour playing with yesterday as well as water crayons and two books that I must have read about 200 times already. It was a fabulous day and I'm so grateful to have him in my life. Words cannot describe how much I love that little dude.

The hubby got a new camcorder for his birthday so most of the memory capturing was done with that. I did remember to take a picture of the cake though, albeit after it was cut. It's my favorite cake, easy to make. It was a vanilla almond frosted double-layer chocolate cake. I decorated it with vegan sprinkles and vegan chocolate chips. It was really rich and really good and Z1 kept saying "I love my party!!" Ahh . . . so easy to please children.

Edited 09/01/08 to add recipe as per Lionesse's request!! Happy to share!











Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1.5 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup olive oil (recipe says vegetable oil but I use olive oil with no problems)
1 cup cold water
2 tsps vanilla
2 tbsp vinegar

Mix all ingredients together well. The order doesn't matter so long as you mix very well. Pour into 9" baking pan.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 mins.

Starting a New Curriculum with Z1

Many of you know that I plan to homeschool my two sons. Last week I found an excellent curriculum to begin with. I think age 3 is a great time to start introducing some concepts so it was fortuitous that I came across this curriculum. I had been drawing up my own but this one closely matches what I was thinking of doing. I will also be working with Z1 to learn his name (recognizing it) and learn to use the mouse for work on the computer. So we're off to the library to get some books to support the lesson. Oh, yes, you know it. I believe in literature based learning. LoL. :)

Raw

So I've really been focused on incorporating more raw foods. I read somewhere that you can reap the full benefits of eating raw by eating 75% raw. Right now, we are at 20%, maybe. But I'm proud to say that for the past few days we've been having green smoothies in the morning. I have been using Dr. Oz's recipe for green drink and we really like it. I also have been making another green smoothie:

one bunch kale
2-3 oranges
2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup pure water
1 banana

Dr. Oz's recipe is heavier on the veggies and that's the kind of smoothie that I think is most beneficial, i.e. a higher ratio of leafy greens to fruit. But the fruit definitely makes it much more enjoyable, and as I re-learned, the acidity helps the body digest the greens.

The other day I made raw oatmeal which was not bad. It was interesting to note how much I really wanted the oatmeal to be warm. It had an interesting taste and texture, though, and will take some getting used to. I will have to try other grains because rolled oats are not really raw (they are steamed in the flaking process). Oat groats may or may not be raw. I'm not quite sure how I will know so other grains might fit the bill better.

I will be getting my dehydrator from the basement and learning how to use it. I'd like to try my hand at some raw crackers to go with the Spanish Breakfast Omelet:


I'd also like to make this Cream of Zucchini soup but that will have to wait till Wednesday when I go to the Farmer's Market. I see that doing this raw thing will require me going out the Farmer's Market weekly. That is the only practical way to get locally grown, often organic fresh fruits and vegetables for a very good price. When the season is over, my only other choice will be the Whole Foods. Both the FM and WF require me to drive but there's really no options in my town for fresh, organic produce. Forget locally grown. You should have seen the sad state of affairs at the vegetable store today (I was just trying to get a few greens to hold us over till Wednesday). Peaches were damn near rotten and they were still trying to sell them for 99 cents a pound. They should have been 25 cents a pound. That might have induced me to buy some to make a cobbler.

Estimates say that using my regular old Osterizer this much will burn the thing out in about 2 months. We will then invest in a Vitamix. I won't be getting the dry container though because I have a food processor. I hope we can find a good deal on a re-furbished one.

I've noticed the Z1 really likes mango. I'm looking for a smoothie (green) that he will actually drink. Mango might be the key.

Thinking of getting one more (expensive azz) book by Alissa Cohen. I really like her site and I've read good things. Plus the recipes look delicious (DH says they look crazy but whatever).
Anyway, I'm excited (and cautious) and inviting anyone who wants to join me to come on along! :) I could use the support.

I finished

The sweater for Z2 that I blogged about a few weeks ago. I added a little hat too. I'm pleased with how it turned out and it should fit Z2 just right come this winter. Sorry the picture is so poor. I just don't seem to be able to take nice pictures!!

I have a few other projects I'm thinking of starting. Here are my ideas:

1. Cozy for my new 40 ounce Klean Kanteen water bottle
2. Knee high socks or Monkey socks using the Regia silk yarn I got on sale
3. Frog the wonky blanket I crocheted and use the yarn to make this one. I think a variegated yarn will lend itself nicely to this pattern.
4. Pullover for Z1. I really like the Cable and Rib Sweater with Hood by Debbie Bliss. Although I hate seaming (which is necessary for things knit flat), this sweater is cute enough where I might be willing to do it. Maybe I can convert it to knit in the round?

Right now I think I'm going to take a bit of a hiatus from knitting and crocheting. I want to spend the next few weeks focusing on incorporating more live foods into our diet (I'd like to be at least 50% raw). I've bought two books on the topic. The first is 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End your Dependency on Cooked Food by Victoria Boutenko (basically a primer on raw foods) and the other is Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney (a simple, introductory cookbook). It's a little daunting especially since it seems that I will be spending a lot of time just preparing foods (lots of dishes require 24 hrs. in the food dehydrator) and also because lots of recipes call for tools I don't have (Vitamix, food dehydrator accessories, etc). We're starting off slowly with green smoothies every morning because I think I can handle that at least. I've joined two live food forums for support and I'm excited to be taking this new journey. I pray it makes a real difference in our energy levels and in our overall health.