I'm pregnant!

On July 23rd, my son and I flew to my sister's in Maryland for a visit.  My parents were there as well.  Shortly before we left, my husband told me I was pregnant.  He's told me this several times, so I didn't put much stock in it.  On July 29th, I started to think he was right.  I was feeling those weird stomach pains that come with pregnancy.  I also had a bad stomachache that afternoon.  That was when I decided it was time to take a pregnancy test.  It was neat being there with my parents and sister to tell them.  Of course my husband wasn't surprised at all.  He already knew I was pregnant. 

Banana Bread

I am so thankful to have come across this gluten-free, sugar-free banana bread recipe.  The link to the original recipe, from Plan to Eat, is at the bottom of the page.  I veganized it, of course.  Don't be scared off by how healthy it is.  It's also delicious.  Seriously.

Ingredients:

6 large, ripe bananas
2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups oat flour (I use my Baby Bullet to mill oatmeal)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two loaf pans.  In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork.  Add coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  (I usually just use my Kitchen Aid mixer.)

2.  In a separate, medium sized bowl combine oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.  Whisk until completely combined.

3.  Add the dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time, mixing until barely combined each time.

4.  Fold in the nuts.

5.  Scrape batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for about 50 minutes.

6.  Once cooked, place on a cooling rack.  I eat it plain, but I'm sure raw coconut oil or Earth Balance would go well on top!

http://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2012/01/gluten-free-dairy-free-sugar-free-oat-flour-banana-bread/

Quinoa with Mushrooms and Onions

Are you familiar with quinoa?  It's an amazing little seed that acts like a whole grain.  It contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.   It's also gluten free!  

Lucky for you, I have a recipe featuring quinoa to share.  It's a simple, delicious, whole foods plant based meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 onions, chopped
1 8 ounce package of mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup water
1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1.  Place uncooked quinoa and 2 cups of water in a pot.  Cook on high.  Once it boils, turn temp to low and simmer with lid on for  15 - 20 min, or until liquid is absorbed.

2.  In a large skillet or wok, cook onions in oil at medium heat until caramelized.  Add mushrooms to skillet to saute for the last 10 minutes. 

3.  Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, 1 cup of water, and the nutritional yeast and stir well.

4.  Last, add quinoa to the skillet and stir until all ingredients are well blended.       

Noodles & Company

My husband took me to Noodles & Company for my birthday today.  It was great, and they are very vegan friendly!  

We had Japanese Pan Noodles and Bangkok Curry.  Both were amazing, and we came home with lots of leftovers!  If you have a Noodles & Company in your area, check it out.  http://www.noodles.com/

DIY Swim Ear

My 10 year old stepdaughter, Julia, is prone to swimmer's ear.  Two summers ago, her pediatrician told us to make our own solution to use after she swims.  It's way less expensive than Swim Ear drops, and is simple to make.

Mix equal parts of alcohol and vinegar.  Alcohol dries any water that is in the ears.  Vinegar restores the normal pH of the ears.  I bought a dropper bottle from the health food store to put the mixture in.  I put about 1/2 a dropper full per ear, then turn head to the other side for it to drain out.  Repeat on other side.

DIY Hand Soap / Body Wash / Shaving Soap

I've been making this soap, in different variations, for the last year.  I've finally settled on the way I best like to make it.  It contains only 2 or 3 ingredients, depending on what scent I make it.  I love this stuff because it's simple to make, versatile, economical, and free of chemicals.  I think essential oils smell so much better than chemical scents.  They are also more safe.  

Ingredients:

3/4 cups Water, boiled then cooled
1/4 cup Dr. Bronners castile soap
Essential oil
Empty foaming soap dispenser

I like to use my glass measuring cup to make this.  I fill it with 3/4 cup of water, then gently pour the soap to the 1 cup line.  Then I add essential oils, if I'm using them, and gently stir.  Last, I pour the mixture into a well cleaned foaming soap dispenser.  

For hand soap, I usually use peppermint Dr. Bronners with 5 or 6 drops of peppermint essential oil.  For body wash, I use peppermint Dr. Bronners and water only.  I also make an unscented body wash with baby mild Dr. Bronners and water only.  

Avocado and Olive Hummus

My dad routinely makes his own hummus.  I make my own as well, but not as frequently as I should.  Homemade hummus is cheaper, tastier, and it can be customized however you like it!  When Daddy was visiting here last month, he made this before he left.  It's my favorite hummus recipe.  Alyssia, James, and I all love it.

Ingredients:

3 cups chickpeas, cooked
Half an avocado
20 black olives
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Put ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.  Serve with raw veggies or pita bread.  It's also a great mayo replacement on sandwiches.

Don't feed it to the dog!

Goldie in December 1998.  This is one of my favorite pictures of her.  She's less than happy about being in her Christmas outfit.  

Our cockapoo, Goldie, is 16 years old.  Since she's an old lady now, I've been giving her lots of human food.  This is a real treat for her since I've never been one to routinely feed dogs people food.  I figure at this point, she's earned it.  As most of us know, some foods can't be given to dogs.  I was really surprised to find out about some things that I would've never thought could be bad for a dog.

1.  Chocolate -  This is the one most of us know.  All chocolate is bad for dogs, but dark chocolate is the most dangerous.

2.  Grapes and raisins -  I was shocked to learn that these can cause kidney failure.

3.  Xylitol -  A sweetner found in gums, like Spry, can cause liver failure.

4.  Garlic -  Can destroy red blood cells and cause anemia.

5.  Onions -  Same as above.

6.  Avocado -  Large amounts can be toxic to dogs.

7.  Macadamia nuts -  Can be fatal if ingested.

8.  Tomatoes -  Vines, leaves, and stems of the plant are toxic.  Very ripe tomatoes are less dangerous.  

9.  Nutmeg -  Large amounts can be fatal.

10.  Alcohol -  It's not great for us in large doses either.  Remember, they are smaller than us and are more susceptible to damaged organs as a result of alcohol.

11.  Dairy products -  Can cause digestive problems and allergies.  (FYI, they're not good for humans either.  More on that later.)

12.  Fat trimmings -  Can cause pancreatitis in dogs.

13.  Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) -  Can cause kidney failure in dogs.

Lawn boy

My son, James,  helped me mow the lawn today. Thank goodness, because it had been years since I'd cut grass! I'm proud to say my mowing job passed my husband's inspection. He is very particular about how our yard looks. It's taken me a while to get him to agree to me trying it out!

DIY Baby Wipes

I've been making my own wipes for about 6 months now.  They are so much better than any commercial wipes I've used!  My husband even agrees.  They are also much less expensive.  Do you know my favorite thing about them?  They're natural.  Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on commercial wipes?  Yikes!  Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

Half of 1 roll Bounty select-a-size huge rolls

2 cups boiled water (allow to cool a bit)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil (raw or virgin)

1/2 Tablespoon Dr. Bronner's baby mild soap

4 drops of tea tree oil

Directions:

My sweet husband cuts the rolls of paper towels in half for me with his power saw as soon as I buy them.  That way they're ready when I need them.  I tried using a big knife from our kitchen initially, but our knives aren't sharp enough for the job.  

1. Fan fold the paper towels from the roll at each perforated line.  This takes a few minutes, but you can watch TV while you do it.

2.  Lay the folded paper towels on a flat surface and adjust until the two stacks are about even.  Then tear apart at the perforated line to give yourself two stacks.

3.  Place 1 stack of paper towels in a bowl.  It needs to be large enough for them to lay flat.

4.  Place the water in a cup or bowl, I like using a measuring cup.

5.  Add the coconut oil, soap, and tea tree oil one at a time in that order.  Stir gently between ingredients.  The warmer the water is, the faster the coconut oil will melt. 

6.  Pour the mixture over the top of your paper towels as evenly as possible.  Let sit for 10 or 15 min to be sure liquid is well distributed.  

7.  Transfer wipes to container.  The wipes have to go in the container sideways.  Also, they don't fit perfectly.  You can see the ripple in the middle of my wipes.  Just make sure to pull gently on the wipes when you use them. 

I always make a second batch of wipes with the second stack of folded paper towels.  I store them in an old plastic wipe container and transfer them to the wipe warmer when I run out.  

I haven't tried yet, but one day I'd like to try using this recipe with cloth wipes.  I've read that a receiving blanket can be cut into 16 wipes.  The wipes could then wash with the diapers.

Also, I learned that the tea tree oil is essential unless you go through the wipes very quickly.  They prevent them from molding.  I was in Alabama for a couple of weeks and made a batch of wipes without the tea tree oil.  They molded!  It took almost two weeks for it to happen, though.

Coconut oil

Let me tell you about my love affair with coconut oil.  It's really incredible stuff!  For starters it's antiviral, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, and antifungal.  It is about 50% lauric acid, which is a medium chain fatty acid also found in high levels in breast milk.  Coconut oil has the longest shelf life of any other oil, make sure you keep some in your doomsday bunkers!  The stuff also smells amazing!  Here's a list of things I use it for.

1. Cooking.  Coconut oil is excellent to cook with because it is heat stable.  Other oils, like olive oil, are not heat stable.  When you cook with oils that are NOT heat stable,  they break down and produce free radicals.  

2.  Moisturizer.  This is the only moisturizer I use on my son and me.  It absorbs well into the skin and doesn't leave a greasy film.  It also makes our skin so soft, not to mention it leaves us smelling like a tropical paradise!

3.  Sunscreen.  Coconut oil is a natural sunscreen.  It has an SPF of 6.  It is the only sunscreen I've ever used on my son.  I plan on trying a sunscreen recipe that combines other oils with different SPFs to increase the overall protection of the sunscreen.  I'll post on that once I do it!

4.  Toothpaste.  The antibacterial properties of coconut oil make it a great base for homemade toothpaste.

5.  Deodorant.  Same as above.

6.  Baby wipes.  It's part of my recipe for baby wipes.  Stay tuned, that's the next thing I'll post!

7.  Adhesive remover.  Need to get a sticker off of something?  Coconut oil is all you need!

8.  Diaper rash salve.  Coconut oil helps prevent and soothe diaper rash.  It's safe for cloth diapers!  It also creates a barrier that keeps the poop from sticking to your little one's tushie.  

9.  Teething pain.  Rub onto the gums to ease pain.

10.  Ear pain.  Warm a bit of oil enough to melt without being too hot, and gently poor into the ear with a spoon.  It feels good and relieves pain.  The antibacterial properties can also help fight an ear infection.

I'll keep y'all posted on new and exciting ways to use coconut oil as I test them out!

I found out a year ago today that I was pregnant. My period was about 3 weeks late, but I didn't really realize it due to spotting I'd had off and on for a couple of weeks. I had done a couple of home tests that were negative before the spotting started. I finally went to a clinic to get tested just to make sure I wouldn't be one of those people who didn't know they were pregnant until they were in labor. I started spotting again the next day and called my doctor. I was scared since I now knew I was pregnant. They said it could be normal, but told me to come in right away for an ultrasound. After the ultrasound, I was asked to stay to see the doctor. I knew that was bad news. My first pregnancy was a miscarriage at 6.5 weeks so I assumed the same thing was happening again. I was wrong. I was told that my pregnancy was tubal. I was wheeled over to the hospital with my 2 youngest kids to wait for surgery. I had to call my neighbor to knock on the door to wake my husband who was sleeping for his shift that night. He didn't even know I was going to the doctor. It was so strange to get such wonderful news one day, then such terrible news the next. I knew about ectopic pregnancies, but I'd never known of anyone who had one. After surgery, my doctor told me I was almost at the point of rupture. Fallopian tubes are very vascular, that's what makes this an emergency operation. I kept thinking of how scary it would've been to have ruptured and bled to death while at home alone taking care of my son. Thinking of him crying for me and not understanding why I wouldn't come to him is heartbreaking. Thank God that was not the case. He is the reason I remained so calm until after the surgery. I was so worried about being knocked out and no one being able to call me and ask questions if needed. I'm a bit overprotective, but I'm also with him 24/7 with the exception of working on Monday nights. Physically, the surgery was a breeze. Emotionally, it was much harder than the miscarriage I had. My sweet baby appeared to be perfectly healthy with a strong heartbeat, he was just stuck in a place that wouldn't allow him to grow. Being a pro-lifer and going through what is technically an abortion was really hard. I do believe that life begins at conception and I was devastated to lose my child. My due date was January 1, 2013. Had little Christian made it to my uterus, I would now likely have a 22 month old and a 5 month old. I am so thankful that I lived to be here for my son, though. I would rather have a loss to mourn than him be without a mother. We're in the process of TTC again. I'm left with only one fallopian tube, but I've been told that it is clear of adhesions. I've also been told that if I ovulate from the left ovary, the egg may free float over to the right fallopian tube. I had no idea such a thing was possible! I hope God will bless me with another child. Either way, I'm so thankful to have had a chance to have a successful pregnancy and a healthy son!

So I guess I've officially started a blog.

Hey, I'm Ashley.  I live in the St Louis area with my husband (Jason) of 3 1/2 years, stepdaughters (Alyssia 18, Julia 10), son (James 22 months), 3 dogs (Goldie, Chi Chi, and Daisy), and 3 rats (Glinda, Elphie, and Nessa).  I'm a crunchy Christian vegan intactivist (in case you haven't put that together) who loves to learn about and try out new things.  I also like sharing what I learn with others!  I keep getting crunchier and crunchier.  I like making a lot of my own products and living as naturally as possible.  I hope this blog will be educational, inspirational, or at least fun for those who read it!