Putting Roots Down

As I'm writing this, I am about 27 hours into Anthony's NTC rotation. I'm not bored at all, although the days are much quieter and much longer. This month brings me a long, self-imposed, and mostly fun to-do list. But who am I kidding? I LOVE lists -- my daily planner is one huge scribble of checks and squiggles and underlined reminders. 

My first project is to work on a victory garden, one of my New Year's Resolutions. As a nod to the Army life we live, it will, with a little bit of work and a watchful eye, provide fresh veggies and herbs for the spring, summer and fall. Original victory gardens were born out of necessity -- families in wartime reverted back to self-sustaining home gardens to free up commercially farmed food for soldiers. Mine is born out of the desire to put down roots in this home that we love.

Because we will move again in just a couple of years, if not sooner, I sometimes feel hesitant to commit to any type of home projects or local activities because we won't always be here. But... this is a bad trap to fall into. As a homemaker, I set the tone for our daily lives and the refuge that we make out of this rental house. Though it is temporary, it is our home. If I neglected loving the moments and the days and this place out of fear, it would be my loss.

So, today I took cups and soil and pretty, shiny little seeds and planted them. They'll stay on the dining room table for just under two weeks, until tiny leaves poke up and they're ready to graduate to a planter box (stay tuned for that DIY project!).

It sounds silly, but I prayed over the seeds, that they would flourish and bring a really big harvest. And one day, I hope to give the food and plants and planter boxes away, because they won't be practical to pack, and will take with me not only a picture of a little garden, but also a memory of a happy harvest.

Were it not for the highchair and soil, this looks like some weird drinking game setup!  

Another First

Emmy's birthday party was a success. There was no stressful overplanning, no yelling about balloon colors, no worrying about the seven house guests we had staying with us.

Just love, cupcakes, wagon rides and a moment to stand still and think how good God has been to us and to our little girl.

What a sweet day.

The Dairy Diaries: Part Three

Here we are at the end of my dairy-free series. Hopefully it's been informative for anyone needing help going dairy-free, whether you are breastfeeding or not.

If you are slashing dairy because your baby is allergic or sensitive to cow's milk proteins in your breastmilk, you might be surprised at just how many processed food items contain milk protein. Now, please take in mind the nature of your baby's sensitivity or allergy. Some babies simply get gassy. Others have it so severe that if they intake dairy products unheeded, they have problems absorbing the nutrients that they get from other proteins and foods, simply because the gut is trying to push the offending proteins out of the intestinal tract as quickly as possible. Yikes!

So, do a little experimenting with an elimination diet to see just how sensitive your baby is. Sometimes you only need to cut out cheese and milk, and that's awesome. Sometimes you have to nix every trace of milk protein in your diet, and that's not so fun.

And the latter situation is where today's post will come in handy, because I'm writing about hidden dairy. Ah, the sneaky sneaky kind. If you're not a from-scratch cook, it might surprise you just how often dairy is used in common foods that you buy at the market. Below is a list of boxed, processed or prepared foods that usually have some form of milk powder, milk protein, or milk product in them.

Bread
Breadcrumbs
Some pasta sauces (obviously, the cream sauces, but also some tomato-based)
Crackers and chips
Vegetarian items and fake cheese
Packaged guacamole and veggie dips
Processed meats and hot dogs
Cakes, muffins, cookies
Sherbert and frozen fruit bars
Most chocolate candies

I must confess that the one that makes me most angry is the frozen fruit bars. In looking for an ice cream alternative, I saw them and was stoked. Yay! Something cold and sweet for after dinner. NOT. The first ingredient? Ice cream. Don't be fooled by brand or item names. Just because something says it's "Whole Fruit", doesn't mean it's fruit only. I had a box of frozen coconut fruit bars in my freezer for months, just taunting me.

Are you bummed out yet? Resigned to just eating fruits and vegetables until your baby weans? (HOW CAN PEOPLE BE VEGANS?????!!!!!!)

Don't give up. Dairy-free isn't all that bad after you push through the first few weeks and figure out good replacement foods. You WILL be hungry the first few days, especially if you eat a few helpings a day like I did. Your bones won't shrivel up for lack of calcium, especially if you eat lots of almonds and dark green vegetables.

The best thing that I did to keep me on track with a dairy-free diet was to remember that my motivation was for Emmy's overall health. It won't last forever, and on the day that she weans, I'm making the biggest grilled cheese sandwich that I can handle. Until then, I'll sacrifice a little cream here and there, and be thankful that I even have food on the table and a child in my arms.

P.S. Don't make stuffed shells with tofu and spinach. It's horrible.

The Dairy Diaries: Part Two

Ah, here we are again, talking about milk for the sake of milk. My dairy-free diet has not always been easy, and I hope that the following tips and linked recipes can help others who need to drop la leche for whatever reason. Mine was so that I could continue to breastfeed, because my baby is sensitive to dairy (milk proteins) in my breastmilk. If you have any dairy-free recipes, tips or experiences, feel free to share!

Substitute Foods

Silk PureAlmond almond milk - It's so good! Almonds are very high in calcium, and I find the taste of the original flavor (non-sweetened) to be creamy enough to enjoy a glass by itself. Most of the time, though, I use it with my morning cereal. The vanilla flavor is, admittedly, even better, but I try to stay away from unnecessary sugar, and since my cereal or oatmeal is sweet, it's still yummy!

Coconut milk - This has seriously been a lifesaver when it comes to making desserts. Its full-fat version can be whipped into frosting, and even the lite variety has a wonderful thickness when put in smoothies. I've found that it gives a really great flavor to whole grain oatmeal. On days when all I want is some ice cream, I can just stick a can in the fridge for an hour, crack that baby open and drink it over ice with some berries. It is high in fat, but let's call it the good kind without doing research, ok? :)

Earth Balance spread - As a relatively new product, this dairy-free, soy-free spread is easy to find and is flexible for cooking. I use it to saute veggies and to bake cookies and cakes. It consists of a blend of hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils, but is surprisingly buttery in taste. It can be pricey, at around $4 for a medium-sized tub (maybe 16 oz?), but is worth the investment. Winn-Dixie and Publix carry it, but I haven't been able to find it at Wal-Mart, and I cannot remember if the Army commissary keeps it in stock.

Chamomile tea - Weirdly enough, it tastes buttery. To me, at least!

Kale and collard greens - These are sky-rocket high in calcium, so chomp down and keep osteoporosis at bay.

Dark chocolate - Most dark chocolate candies don't have milk or milk products in them, but they are rich and sweet and when melted into almond milk, make for an indulgent late-night drink.

Recipes

Substitute Earth Balance spread for the butter and you'll have a SERIOUS PROBLEM ON YOUR HANDS. As in, you will probably eat this whole cake. But really, it's delicious.

http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/over-weekend_28.html

Kale chips. They look weird going in the oven, but they're crunchy and salty and before you know it, you've eaten a whole head of kale in one sitting.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/baked-kale-chips/

There they are, short and sweet! Our next and final post about my dairy-free experience will be about hidden and unexpected dairy in common foods that we eat. Please post if you have any great recipes or food tips for eating dairy-free!

The Dairy Diaries: Part One

Should you happen to be a man (or woman!) who is made uncomfortable by the sound of your own in-head voice reading about breastfeeding, please avert your eyes and spare yourself the gagging. Thank you.

Hello!

Today I'm going to start a series of entries about going dairy-free. I have been dairy-free for about 8 months now, with a few cheats here and there. I gave up dairy because my breastfeeding daughter is sensitive to it, something I discovered after a little bit of detective work when she was around 8 weeks old. Breastfeeding was such an intense bonding experience, and I loved knowing that my body could sustain her, so I gave dairy the boot because it was important to me to be able to continue exclusive breastfeeding. However, don't get me wrong. I LOVE CHEESE. And milk. And ice cream. Yogurt, oh the creamy yogurt. Mmmmm, sour cream on my nachos. Ah, the thick and smooth cream sauce! Ok, ok, I'll stop! Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and that's why I'm writing this in the first place.

If you are here needing help because you think that your breastfed baby might have a dairy sensitivity, intolerance or allergy, please remember to consult your pediatrician. Ours, an excellent doctor, did not have much to say on the issue, and confessed that although his own children were breastfed, he didn't know much about dealing with sensitivities to whatever the mother ate; however, many doctors, midwives or lactation specialists can offer great advice. In search of help, I did a lot of "Dr. Googling" and found other moms who had the same troubles, and hope to add my two cents in case I can ease anyone other mamas in their journey. (Note: Your doctor may recommend switching to formula; however, most formulas are made with a milk protein base, and this will not help at all. A soy-based formula is the only alternative. I encourage you to go dairy-free and keep nursing, though!)

Signs

Emmy starting exhibiting signs of dairy sensitivity around 8 weeks old. She had bright green, mucousy poops and was fussy for no apparent reason around 5-7 p.m. Occasionally there was a slightly bloody stool, which really got me worried. LLL's book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding mentions dairy sensitivity, so I went with my instinct and starting an elimination diet. Basically, I dropped all dairy products for a couple of days and the improvements in both her mood and her poop were drastic. She no longer had evening spells of crying and whimpering, and her stools were perfect. Yes, I realize that only a parent can think that their child's poop is perfect :) And so we hit the nail on the head, and I realized that I needed to make a lifestyle change when it came to my eating and cooking habits.

Continued Signs


Today, at 10 months old, Emmy is still breastfeeding and is still sensitive to dairy in my milk. She eats meats, grains, fruits and veggies many times throughout the day, but her main sustenance is still breastmilk. One difference now is how her sensitivity is displayed. In her early months, her stools were enough to tell. Now, as her diet has expanded and her GI tract has matured, that's no longer the case. Dairy no longer affects her poop. So, every few weeks, I eat a serving of dairy to test and see how it affects her. And yes, I relish those precious few and far between bites of cheese!

Interestingly, in the last two months, her sensitivity has come through in her skin. I ate lasagna and a few pieces of chocolate one day, and she developed tiny ezcema-like patches on her thigh-joint areas, as well as on the back of her calves and near her elbows. When I ate more dairy the following day, the patches got thicker and redder. The next few days, I dropped all dairy and the patches cleared up immediately.

So.... sigh. She is still sensitive to dairy. But that's ok, because I know how to deal with it now!

Baby Steps


I didn't realize how often I ate dairy, and how many surprising food products contain dairy, which, to be clear, does not include eggs. An elimination diet can be shocking, and for ravenous breastfeeding moms, it can be difficult to feel satiated without those yummy fats.

I recommend going cold turkey, as this will speed up the process of removing all milk proteins from your body. Most research that I have read says that milk proteins can stay in your body for up to 3 weeks, yikes! However, it only took two or three days to see drastic improvements in our case.

Soups, stews, salads, trail mix and teas are what helped me in my elimination diet. The liquids kept me hydrated, and the protein from nuts and meat made me feel full. Also, chamomile tea, to me, has a buttery taste, so if you are really craving it, make yourself a cup. It might surprise you to find natural foods that taste just as rich as dairy!

My next post will be about how to sustain a dairy-free diet by using substitute foods. If you are dairy-free, please comment and share about your choice. I'd love to hear from you!

A Small Triumph

I love crafts. I love sewing. I love baby nap time, and on a really really good day, all those happen at the same time.

Here's my January wreath, hanging proudly on our front door. It's wintery in the most Southern of ways -- bright bluewhite skies and still-blooming bushes with streaks of yellow. No snowflakes here, at least not yet, but it's snowed in March for the past two years, so we'll see!

New Year's Will Bring Me to You

(name that song & artist ^ and you get a big digital hug from me for having great musical taste)

Christmas came and went, and here it is, 2012. I'm going to take an hour one of these days and write out all about our time at home, and about the horrors of roseola, and how apparently you can PMS without PMSing, and how amazing simple dates with my husband are, but for now, I'm looking forward.

This year's calendar is already so full: Emmy's first birthday, lots of "trips" for Daddy, big projects for Mommy to tackle. Our family has some singular challenges in store, but none that we can't tackle with a little bit of Rosie the Riveter attitude and a lot of Holy Spirit strength.

I usually do one New Year's resolution a year. The last two were to stay in touch with friends and to not give unsolicited advice.

This year, I'm amping it up to a handful instead of just one. Here goes!

Give more instead of being crazy about finding a deal. Store up treasures in heaven. 
Grow a victory garden.
Love on my friends and family by remembering and making special their birthdays.
Read the whole Bible.