Tomato Basil Potatoes

I made this up based on what I had in my kitchen... little potatoes, fresh basil, grape tomatoes, fresh raw cheese and garlic. This is how I make up a lot of my meals and they usually come out successful. I guess you would call me a "spontaneous cooker". Sometimes when I don't really have a plan for a meal... I look at what I have and make something out of it. The results are usually 99.9% very good :o)

This yummy garlicky side dish is excellent with a salad for a simple vegetarian lunch or with grilled chicken for a Italian dinner. I love my potatoes to have a mixture of creaminess and chunkiness... the cheese compliments it very well. The tomato throws in a wonderful juicy flavor while the garlic gives it a slightly spicy kick into the mouth. Can't leave out the basil... talk about a herb with a taste of it own!

Tomato Basil Potatoes

By Marillyn Beard

• 2-3 lbs potatoes
• 1/2 cup potato water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-2 cups chopped mozzarella cheese
• 1-3 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 red or yellow onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 5-8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups grape tomatoes

Cut potatoes into chunks and add into a big pot add with water. Bring to a boil and skim out the foam (contains impurities) that rises to the top. Let potatoes cook till tender (not mushy!).

Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the water and set aside. Drain potatoes and add water, butter, cheese, pepper and sea salt. Stir with a big spoon till everything is well mixed. Stir in onion (I prefer red onions, but didn't have any), basil and garlic. Lastly, fold in the grape tomatoes and be careful not to mush them too much.

Let everything sit with lid on for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to settle in.

Heap a pile onto your plate and enjoy!

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Tabitha Charis - Graceful Grace

For those of you don't know... Tabi's whole name is Tabitha Charis-Helle Beard Goranson.

Yep.  That's right!

Why?

Because she is a Costa Rican (Tica) and it is normal here to have your father and mother's last names.  Yes, my last name is Beard... but my passport has my maiden name.  We originally wanted to do without the Goranson, but we couldn't.  So we asked if we could squeeze Charis and Helle together... no problema.

Why did we want Helle in there?  Because they are special friends of ours who helped pay for our midwife with Naomi and Tabi's homebirth.  We felt that it was the right thing to include them in Tabi's name and to honor them for their support.  They were very blessed and felt like grandparents all over again  :o)

So, today was a big day for Tabi... she officially started crawling.  She had been "warming up" over the last couple weeks, but today she crawled all the way from Naomi's room to our office.  Yeaaa!  Here's a Flip Videothat my dad and I did today of Tabi.

Don't you just love how she was "hitting" herself with the flip video?  And how she threw a classic tantrum when my dad took the flip from her?

Yes, she is dramatic... I have two drama queens, oh my!

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Spicy Mango-Ginger Beef Roast

I created this recipe because I had a huge piece of beef and lots of mangoes that needed to be eaten. I googled around for a slow cooker recipe with beef and mangoes, but didn’t really find anything. So, I decided to be adventurous and create something using Thai flavors. I bought this amazing Thai yellow curry paste at an Asian market in San Jose almost 9 months ago and it's still good. No MSG, preservatives or flavorings and all real ingredients AND SPICY! Really tummy yummy!

Spicy Mango-Ginger Beef Roast

By Marillyn Beard

• 3-4 lbs grass-fed chuck or arm roast (whatever you prefer)
• 2 ripe mangoes, cut into small cubes
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 limes, squeezed
• 1/3-1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. Pepper

Put the beef in a big bowl and stab it with a sharp fork all over to help tenderize it. Cover it with mangoes, garlic, lime juice, coconut oil, sea salt and pepper. Using your hands, mush up the mangoes and rub the beef really good. Let it sit in a cool place overnight (not the refrigerator!).

NOTE: if you are concern about bacteria… don’t worry. Coconut oil, garlic, salt and lime naturally have anti-bacterial properties to preserve the beef. The mango has great tenderizing abilities along with coconut oil. It will make your tough grass-fed beef melt in your mouth!

In the morning…

• 2 cups brown rice of some kind (I had basmati rice)
• 4 cups water
• 4 Tbsp. whey, lemon/lime juice or vinegar

Wash rice, put in pot with water and acidic medium (whey, lemon or vinegar). Let it soak for 7 hours.

• 2 onions, cut into chunks
• 4-5 potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup fresh ginger, chopped finely
• 2 Tbsp. Thai yellow curry paste
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• 1-2 mango, cut into small cubes

Put beef into your slow cooker and keep sauce in bowl. Stab the beef some more. Put onions and potatoes on top. Pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle ginger, curry paste, sea salt and pepper. Stir the onions and potatoes with everything, but keep it ON TOP the beef. Turn the cooker on HIGH for 6-7 hours. (you can add carrots if you like, I ran out of room in my cooker)

1 hour before eating, add cubed mangoes and turn cooker on LOW. The total cooking time should be 7-8 hours.

After putting mangoes in pot, bring the pot of rice to a boil. Let the water boil down till even with the rice. Turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes (check the bottom towards the end to check level of water). I honestly don’t time my rice… I’ve cooked enough rice to “know” when it’s done. The time I put there is a guess, so make sure you watch it if you don’t have that instinct.

Spoon rice onto a plate and pile roast on top with the liquids. Make sure you get some of the liquids at the bottom… it’s the sweetest. Serve with a side of Ginger Broccoli Sauerkraut.

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Got Chickens?

We finally have chickens!

Well, we have a young hen and rooster to be more specific.  We've been looking everywhere for chicks for laying eggs, but only found chicks for meat.  So, my good friend, Shirley (who's husband raises sheep next to our house), brought me to a friend that raises chickens for eggs and meat.  She was willing to sell us one of her young roosters and a young hen this past weekend.  This specific kind of hen will lay eggs AND warm them to produce chicks.  We don't really know what breed this guys are... probably just Costa Rican mutt chickens  :o)

So, I know the general rule is "never name your chickens", but we decided to go ahead and named the rooster... Fuego.  Which means "fire" in Spanish and we gave him that name because it looks like his head is on fire.  Then my mom decided to name the hen... Moka.  So, there you go!  You have officially met our rooster and hen  :o)

The guys live in this sweet coop that my dad build a couple weeks ago.  It is a very rustic, frugal chicken coop and it looks SO Costa Rican!  We spend less than $35 for everything.  Pretty sweet, huh?  Especially because my dad read on a website that is it average to spend about $200 to build a decent coop.  My dad is really good about being frugal when building things, especially now that we are missionaries.

See the little box on the right side of the coop?  That's where the hens will lay their eggs.  There's 3 sections in there for them to lay their eggs.  We are doing the deep litter method and we made a simple chicken feeder and waterer using 1 gallon buckets.  We had to raise them up a little with some wood to keep the guys from getting shavings in their food and water.  Today we went out and bought stuff to make our own whole grain feed.  We did our best to find what we could and thankfully we got a majority of what we needed.  The guys LOVED it and later I brought out a bowl of my kraut for them to try.  At first they didn't know what it was, but they were brave enough to try it and enjoyed it (especially Fuego).  Our next project is to create a little maggot farm for our guys... Oh yeah, you read it right!  I don't think we'll be using animal carcasses, but we'll use old food waste.  Can't wait to do it... Maggots is free chicken feed!  I LOVE free stuff, who doesn't?

I'll post better pictures later.  I was taking pictures right at the beginning of a rain storm.  So the lighting wasn't the greatest and I was holding a umbrella with one hand while trying to take pictures with the other hand.  Get the picture?

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Coconut Custard Cake

Update: I decided to be a part of the Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free! blog carnival. This post is linked to Elana's Pantry as she is the host for the month of November 2009. Her theme is gluten-free cakes and I thought my Coconut Custard Cake would be a good entry (send the entry late, but she graciously allowed my entry... Thank you Elana!). Visit the final roundup of 20 delicious gluten-free cakes! Can't wait to try most of them!

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free was started by Naomi from Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried & is successfully rolling into its second year. If you would like to participate, please visit this post to see who is hosting and their themes. Trish from Kinda Real Gluten Free Food is hosting for December and her theme is holiday cookies!

This dessert is for the serious coconut lovers (like me!).

It is fantastically soft, delicately sweet and simply easy to make!

My mom found this recipe somewhere in the states and I made some alternative changes to make it a wheat-free, guilt-free, wholesome treat.

Another bonus: You can make this totally dairy-free by using coconut milk and coconut oil!

I added some organic dried cranberries that my in-laws bought for us. I would’ve added almonds or macadamias and my hubby wanted dark chocolate chips, but it still tasted DEEElish.

Coconut Custard Cake

By Marillyn Beard

• 8 eggs
• 4 cups milk*
• 1 cup coconut flour*
• 1 cup raw sugar (rapadura or other)*
• 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups coconut flakes
• optional: handful of chopped nuts and/or raisins
• cinnamon and nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. With a hand-held blender mix eggs, milk, coconut flour, raw sugar, butter/coconut oil, baking powder till smooth. Stir in coconut flakes and chopped nuts and/or raisins (if desired). Pour into a 9x13 pan and sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the top. Put in oven for 1 hour or till top and bottom is light golden brown.

*NOTE: For your milk you can use coconut milk, dairy milk or other. If you don’t have coconut flour, you can use unbleached flour or soft grain flour. If you prefer, you can use honey instead of raw sugar (make sure to cut out 1/2 cup milk).

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Swing Around The Night

You all know I love photography and Naomi loves her tire-swing that both grandpas made several weeks ago.  Well, Jon and I were outside with the girls... enjoying the cool evening air and watching a lightening storm showing all its glory over some distance mountains.

It was a gorgeous night.

Naomi marched over to her tire-swing, got on and commanded us, "I want to swing, push me!".  Of course we are consistent to remind her to say "Please", but you know how 2 year olds can be [smile] oh so demanding.

So, I suddenly had this great photo idea.  I ran into the house and got my camera, tripod and flashlight.  Came back outside and gave Naomi the flashlight, then got my camera up on the tripod.  I asked Jon swing her in a circle and here's what I was able to capture on that gorgeous night...

Don't you just love how the light streaked on the tree, ground and building? The different lights gave the tree a wonderful towering, spooky look. I also love how Jon looks like a ghost... he slowly disappeared with each picture.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

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Fresh Coconut Flakes

A few weeks ago my family and I were at the feria doing our usual shopping. That week meat coconuts were selling everywhere. Yes, there are many different kinds of coconuts, but not all have thick meat that is great for making milk, oil and flakes. These particular coconuts are harvested once a month, so if you want it... you gotta buy as many as you can to last through next few weeks before the next batch will be harvested.

So I bought about 2 or 3 coconuts for my first try in making coconut flakes. I originally bought them to make milk, but changed my mind after I ate some of the meat. It was too good! It was pretty simple to dehydrate the coconut meat, but I had to keep my eye on them so that they would not dry out too much.

Here's what I did...

First, my dad helped me crack open the coconuts. You can do that by beating it (turning it in a circle) on a hard edge. You do that till the coconut water starts leaking out OR you can take a screw driver and hammer, poke holes in the "eyes" to get the water out. Either way, make sure you have a cup ready to drink it! So good! After all the water it out, crack it open.

If you have a machete... you can simply cut it open it in one swing, but that takes practice :o)

After you've got them open. You have to dig out the meat and that's the hardest part. If your coconuts are fresh, sometimes it won't come out easily. You can put them in the fridge to dry out a little, but it will lose some of its flavor. If I can't dig it out with a spoon or knife, then I BEAT it out! I take a hammer and turn the coconut over (inside facing down) and beat it till the shell and meat break apart.

When the meat breaks loose, you'll see thin brown layer on the outside of it. Most people hand-grate that part off, but you can eat it. It's just fiber and has no taste. I leave it because it is one less thing too do :o)

Next, I put together my food processor to shred the coconuts. One coconut gives me about 2-3 cups and one coconut can cost anywhere from 250 colones to 400 colones (roughly about 50 to 75 cents). So, I'm getting more fresh coconut flakes for less than what it is at the store.

Ooo, the joys of being frugal!

Freshly shredded coconut in a coconut bowl. So yummy! It tastes great, fresh, with a fruit salad. I am planning to try making coconut ice cream using fresh coconut meat in the near future. Hmmm, can't wait! So yummy!

Now I get my dehydrator and brown parchment paper (which I found here in Costa Rica!) out. I cut out the parchment paper to fit the trays and cut the center for the air to circulate better.

Make sure you spread it out enough to dry evenly. I found that I had to rotate the trays because the ones on the bottom were drying faster than the ones at the top. You'll have to check on it regularly and move the meat around a little. When a tray of meat is done, simply take it out and put it in a sealed glass jar. It will last for a while as long as air doesn't leak in to stale it.

There you go! Your very own homemade, fresh, yummy, easy and frugal coconut flakes!

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Friday Afternoons At The Feria

I love the smells: it’s a rich mixture of fresh dirt, ripe veggies, juicing fruits and people.
I love the sights: people moving closely around with bags or carts of produce and rows of colorful veggies & fruits just waiting to be taken home.
I love the sounds: laughter, noise and rich conversations rumbling around me.
Hmmmm… I really love farmer’s markets, especially in Costa Rica where is goes ALL YEAR LONG! Most things can be grown year round, but a lot are seasonal too.   Like mangoes, they are only in season April through August.   I was SO SAD that I had to live without mangoes for 7 months!

Going to the market is so much more than just buying food for the week. We meet people and recognize others that past us by (we are easily recognize because we are “The Gringos of San Ramon”). We have our favorite stands that we go to every week and slowly develop a relationship with the people we buy produces from. I look, feel and smell each fruit and veggie before we buy them. I think of different tasty recipes I can make throughout the week with my hand-selected produces. To be honest, I don’t find that same atmosphere in a grocery store, who does?

San Ramon has the biggest feria in the Western Central Valley area.  It has 3 long rows filled with stands selling veggies, fruit, raw cheese, flowers, baked goods, jewelry and clothing.  My favorite stand, of course, is the organic one called "Tico Organicos S.A.".  Juan Luis, and his family sell their own organic produces and eggs along with produces from other organic farmers. I am so grateful for them and the high-quality produces they sell. They even sell homemade, grounded dried herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, etc…). Sure, it is a small stand compare to the big “organic-only” feria in San Jose that we went to with our midwife, but it is better then nothing!

Juan Luis

We've made it a route when we go to the feria... first we go to the organic stand, then we go get some fresh "tortillas" which is basically fresh corn mixed with raw cheese than grilled with more raw cheese.  Jon calls it the "Costa Rican Pizza".  It is really delicious.

  

  

Next we finish the rest of our shopping.  Sometimes the organic doesn't have everything I need, so we go to our favorite stands and pick up the rest of the stuff.  95% of the people are local farmers selling their stuff and I can't get over how fresh everything is!  I guess it is because we lived in Jaco for half the year and had to get by with "okay" produces.  One major thing we’ve noticed is how BIG a lot of the root veggies are. I’m talking about beets that are bigger than softballs, carrots that are the size of 3-4 regular ones put together and potatoes that look like they’ve been shot with growth hormones (they really don’t do that). Most ticos (Costa Ricans) will tell you it’s a special secret, but personally I think its from all the rich black soil and lava that is found throughout the country.

One thing that is not easy to find around here is garlic grown in Costa Rica. All the garlic sold in the feria and supermarkets are from CHINA! Thankfully, there is one stand that sells Costa Rican garlic, but they don’t always have a consistent supply (like today… no garlic! boohoo!). That is one thing I will for sure be planting LOTS of in our garden in the near future, I hope.

To give you an idea of how the system works here, almost everything is sold by the kilo (2.2 pounds). Example, today mangoes were 3 kilos for 1,000 colones (little less then $2.00) and that’s about 10 medium size mangoes for about .20 each! Eggs are also weighted by the kilo. Typically 1 kilo is about 15-17 eggs and usually sell for about 1,300 colones (a little over $2.00). Getting the idea? The produces are so much cheaper here than in Jaco and the produces weren’t as fresh or organic either! All the stuff were bought in mass quanity and sold by guys who make a living selling conventionally raised veggies and fruits that they didn’t even grow. It was hard because I couldn’t ask the usual questions… Did you grow these veggies? Do you use chemicals? because they didn’t know.  So, I am so grateful to be able to meet people at the market who grow their own stuff, know that everything was picked fresh in the morning and brought to the market locally.

Well, now you know what I do on my Friday afternoons! Hehe!

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Why I Am Exclusively Breastfeeding And Delaying Solid Foods

I know many books and health experts recommend offering your baby solid foods around six months, but why?

When I ask the “why” question, here’s what they say:

“That’s what everybody does”
“That’s what the doctors say to do”
“Because it is exciting to feed your child solid foods!”
“Because your breastmilk won’t provide the necessary nutrients after 6 months”
“Because your baby can’t thrive only on breastmilk past 6 months”
“Your baby will develop iron-deficiency if not given iron-supplementation”
“Babies normally wean off around 6 months and need solids”
“If your baby is not sleeping through the night, feeding solids will help”


When I met a few gals through my NOAH group emails who are/were delaying solids till the one-year mark or past the one-year mark. Naturally, I became very curious, especially after I read the benefits of doing that. I didn’t know you could do that or that it was an option.

So, Of course, I wanted to research on that and the NOAH gals direct me to this great website: www.kellymom.com. This website is a wealth of information and resources on the true basis for sound gut health and overall health for most children. It is difficult in this generation to keep our children healthy against the overwhelming environmental abuses they are bombard with. Honestly, overall, children are very much less healthy in this generation than the previous generation. How many families do you know that have at least one, if not several, members that have allergies, chronic illnesses, autoimmune disease or degenerative illness? Nowadays, sadly, it is consider “the norm”.

It is my desire to break that cycle in my girls’ generation. I am SO GRATEFUL that both my girls are strong and healthy. They should have the privilege to be happy kids with no physical problems and grow up enjoying life with out struggles and pain. That’s why I decided to delay solids to help ensure that for Tabitha. I did not do that with Naomi because I didn’t know I could do that if I wanted. Thankfully, I followed the Nourishing Tradition way of introducing solids (started her around 7 months with egg yolks). I believe it helped her avoid developing life-long allergies and digestive problems.


Reasons For Delaying Solids (Taken from www.kellymom.com)

Most babies will become developmentally and physiologically ready to eat solids by 6-9 months of age. For some babies, delaying solids longer than six months can be a good thing; for example, some doctors may recommend delaying solids for 12 months if there is a family history of allergies.

Although some of the reasons listed here assume that your baby is breastfed or fed breastmilk only, experts recommend that solids be delayed for formula fed babies also.

Delaying solids gives baby greater protection from illness.
Although babies continue to receive many immunities from breastmilk for as long as they nurse, the greatest immunity occurs while a baby is exclusively breastfed. Breastmilk contains 50+ known immune factors, and probably many more that are still unknown. One study has shown that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 4+ months had 40% fewer ear infections than breastfed babies whose diets were supplemented with other foods. The probability of respiratory illness occurring at any time during childhood is significantly reduced if the child is fed exclusively breast milk for at least 15 weeks and no solid foods are introduced during this time. (Wilson, 1998) Many other studies have also linked the degree of exclusivity of breastfeeding to enhanced health benefits (see Immune factors in human milk and Risks of Artificial Feeding).

Delaying solids gives baby's digestive system time to mature.
If solids are started before a baby's system is ready to handle them, they are poorly digested and may cause unpleasant reactions (digestive upset, gas, constipation, etc.). Protein digestion is incomplete in infancy. Gastric acid and pepsin are secreted at birth and increase toward adult values over the following 3 to 4 months. The pancreatic enzyme amylase does not reach adequate levels for digestion of starches until around 6 months, and carbohydrate enzymes such as maltase, isomaltase, and sucrose do not reach adult levels until around 7 months. Young infants also have low levels of lipase and bile salts, so fat digestion does not reach adult levels until 6-9 months.

Delaying solids decreases the risk of food allergies.
It is well documented that prolonged exclusive breastfeeding results in a lower incidence of food allergies (see Allergy References and Risks of Artificial Feeding). From birth until somewhere between four and six months of age, babies possess what is often referred to as an "open gut."

This means that the spaces between the cells of the small intestines will readily allow intact macromolecules, including whole proteins and pathogens, to pass directly into the bloodstream. This is great for your breastfed baby as it allows beneficial antibodies in breastmilk to pass more directly into baby's bloodstream, but it also means that large proteins from other foods (which may predispose baby to allergies) and disease-causing pathogens can pass right through, too. During baby's first 4-6 months, while the gut is still "open," antibodies (sIgA) from breastmilk coat baby's digestive tract and provide passive immunity, reducing the likelihood of illness and allergic reactions before gut closure occurs. Baby starts producing these antibodies on his own at around 6 months, and gut closure should have occurred by this time also. See How Breast Milk Protects Newborns and The Case for the Virgin Gut for more on this subject.

Delaying solids helps to protect baby from iron-deficiency anemia.
The introduction of iron supplements and iron-fortified foods, particularly during the first six months, reduces the efficiency of baby's iron absorption. Healthy, full-term infants who are breastfed exclusively for periods of 6-9 months have been shown to maintain normal hemoglobin values and normal iron stores. In one study (Pisacane, 1995), the researchers concluded that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 7 months (and were not give iron supplements or iron-fortified cereals) had significantly higher hemoglobin levels at one year than breastfed babies who received solid foods earlier than seven months. The researchers found no cases of anemia within the first year in babies breastfed exclusively for seven months and concluded that breastfeeding exclusively for seven months reduces the risk of anemia. See Is Iron-Supplementation Necessary? for more information.

Delaying solids helps to protect baby from future obesity.
The early introduction of solids is associated with increased body fat and weight in childhood. (for example, see Wilson 1998, von Kries 1999, Kalies 2005)

Delaying solids helps mom to maintain her milk supply.
Studies have shown that for a young baby solids replace milk in a baby's diet - they do not add to baby's total intake. The more solids that baby eats, the less milk he takes from mom, and less milk taken from mom means less milk production. Babies who eat lots of solids or who start solids early tend to wean prematurely.

Delaying solids helps to space babies.
Breastfeeding is most effective in preventing pregnancy when your baby is exclusively breastfed and all of his nutritional and sucking needs are satisfied at the breast.

Delaying solids makes starting solids easier.
Babies who start solids later can feed themselves and are not as likely to have allergic reactions to foods.

Every baby is different. That’s why it is so important to know your baby and “listen” to your baby, not your doctor. Who knows our children best? Us mothers who are with them almost 24/7 or the doctors who see them for a couple hours? I truly don’t believe the “one-size fits all babies” system is healthy or wise. Naomi and Tabi are SO different from each other in their development and growth. Naomi’s bottom teeth didn’t pop out till she was about 10-11 months, but Tabi’s bottom teeth popped out when she was 6 months and her two top ones popped out shortly after. Naomi was a short and very chubby baby, but Tabi is a long and slightly chubby baby. Does it mean that one is healthier than the other or developing better than the other? No. It just confirms the scripture that God has made each one of us to be unique.

I wasn’t able to exclusively breastfeed Naomi past 7 months because my milk supply wasn’t meeting her demand. So I started her on egg yolks and goat milk while still breastfeeding her. With Tabi, it is a different story. She is still breastfeeding exclusively at 8 months and going strong. My milk supply is strong and flowing. She is a robust and happy baby.

What made the difference?

Diet is the biggest one and doing demand feeding. I wasn’t a very healthy eater before Naomi was conceived and I was learning how to eat healthier while pregnant and then making a lot of changes in our lifestyle after she was born. Now, I eat raw eggs (mixed in smoothies or oatmeal), kefir, raw milk, lacto-fermented foods, clean grass-fed meats, bone broths, coconut oil, cod-liver oil, soaked grains, fresh veggie juices and BIG salads with homemade dressings. I am basically following the Nourishing Tradition’s Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers. My midwife in Costa Rica, Uva, said my placenta was the most perfect and healthiest placenta she had ever seen. I attributed that to my nourishing diet, I seriously believe that because of the differences I saw between my two pregnancies, births and health.

So, back to the delaying of solids… This isn’t for everyone. One mother shared that she struggled with feeding her baby solids at 7 months, but saw that her baby needed it because she wasn’t content with just breastmilk. Tabitha is showing all the “signs” of being ready to eat solids, but she is still content with just breastmilk. She’s gaining weight, happy, robust and growing. I have to make sure I take care of myself by eating food full of good fats, complex carbs, protein and lots of water.

Even after I start Tabitha on solids, I am still planning to breastfeed her till she weans herself off (Naomi weaned herself off around 18 months). There are many great benefits of breastfeeding past a year.
Breastfeeding benefits toddlers and young children... Nutritionally, immunologically and psychologically.

• Nursing toddlers benefit NUTRITIONALLY
• Nursing toddlers are SICK LESS OFTEN
• Nursing toddlers have FEWER ALLERGIES
• Nursing toddlers are SMART
• Nursing toddlers are WELL ADDJUSTED SOCIALLY
• Nursing a toddler is NORMAL (this is my favorite)
• MOTHERS also benefit from nursing past infancy

Please go to the website for more detailed information on each benefit and see the resources.

Here are some great readings:
Extended Breastfeeding: Are There Still Health Benefits?
Breastfeed A Toddler – Why On Earth?
Why Mothers Nurse Their Children into Toddlerhood
FAQ on Breastfeeding Past the First Year
You’re Still Nursing?

Again, this isn’t for everyone… but I do pray and hope that more women (and men too!) will understand the benefits and learn to appreciate breastfeeding (whether they are, are not breastfeeding or did not, do not breastfeed). I truly believe it is a gift from God to be able to supply milk and nourish my precious babies. Thank you Lord!

  

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Gourmet Banana Nut Butter Toast

This has always been a great breakfast, lunch or snack for Naomi (and my hubby too). I don't make this very often, so when I do... it is a real treat. Typically its only bread, nut butter and bananas... but I decided to take it a step further by adding: raw honey, my homemade coconut flakes and cinnamon.

Hmmm, so good... we won't be going back to the typical way :o)

Gourmet Banana Nut Butter Toast

By Marillyn Beard

• bread (Ezekial's or sourdough)
• nut butter of your choice
• raw honey
• bananas
• coconut flakes
• cinnamon

Toast your bread. Slather your heart's desired amount of nut butter and raw honey on toast.

Thinly or thickly (your choice) slice banana and place over the nut butter. Sprinkle coconut flakes and cinnamon over the bananas.

Enjoy!

After I made this up and took pictures, we sat outside on our front porch and enjoyed it with the outdoor nature. This is truly a great 'quick' meal when you don't have time to make a 'real' meal. I was able to sit down and enjoy watching my daughter make a yummy mess. Of course, I had to take pictures because I love doing that. Life goes by so fast, especially when you have kids who are growing up so quickly! Naomi is truly advancing beyond her years. Many people have been telling Jon and I that they can not believe how smart Naomi is. We are blessed that she is smart, but we pray that she will not grow a big head about it. We pray and desire to see her grow in the Lord above everything that the world values.

Here is a great verse that we personalized for Naomi a while back:

Naomi Shalom, listen and be wise. Keep your heart on the right course.

Proverbs 23:19 (NLT)

I encourage all of you who have kids to personalize a special verse for each child. I believe it will show them how much God loves them individually. Make them feel and believe they are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's eyes. Help direct them to the right path and not leave it. And plant the seeds of the Spirit in their lives so they will grow to become fruits of the Spirit.

I also love this paraphrase of Psalm 8:2:

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;

toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk,

and silence atheist babble.

Psalm 8:2

This gives a great picture of how our babies and tikes praise our Lord Jesus Christ and truly drown out the babbles of atheists. We need to show and encourage our kids to live clean, innocent lives in a perverse world. That is our calling has parents and if we aren't obedient to that calling... we will reap painful consequences.

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Grocery Store Wars

A good friend emailed this to me (Thanks, Becca!). Star Wars was created during my hubby's generation, so of course he loved it.

This is a great video of organic foods battling against the dark side, conventional foods, in a grocery store setting. Very creative and funny, but also very real and scary as we are battling against the big guys of Monsanto, Syngena, DuPont, Misui, Aventis, and Dow for our organic food today. We need to be watchful, wise and careful as these guys are always trying to find ways to kill the organic movement that is making a HUGE comeback. If Monsanto and the other guys have it their way... EVERYTHING would be GMO, sprayed, radiated, gassed, cloned, pumped with hormones and antibiotics. Read about the HR-875 that is being pushed by Monsanto that will make natural seeds, organic food and farmer's markets illegal, no joke.

Here's a information flyer: Defeat HR-875 Please read it carefully as it contains a lot of information that Monsanto doesn't want you to know about.

If you are thinking, "So what's the big deal?"... Read this.

More good information and websites:

Top 10 Dangers of Genetically Modified Food

The Future of Food

Seeds of Deception

Food Renegade

Organic Consumers Association

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