Florence Nightingale

I have much respect for health care providers, especially nurses. Day in and day out they take care of people who are ill. Most nurses have good bed side manner, which usually makes up for the lack of the doctor's!
Everyone in my house hold has been sick this week. We were luck enough to host not just one virus, but two at the same time!! Lucky us, we won the virus jackpot. If I could only apply that luck to the lottery. I, as usual, didn't get as sick as everyone else. I believe it is part to the fact that I have been drinking my apple cider vinegar like it is going out of style.
My poor little son had to go to the doctor because he was looking so rough. Hacking up a lung, puffy right eye, a constant dripping nose, a possible rash on his face, are just a few of his symptoms. Sure enough, he had caught the virus that everyone at school had. The doctor wanted him to take albuterol breathing treatments to help him breath easier. I was ok with this as his blood oxygen level was on the low side. She also wanted to give him antibiotics for his ear infection. I said no to that idea. Instead I have been putting oil of garlic and mullein in his ear. Wonderful stuff, the garlic eats the infection and the mullein soothes the ear canal. I didn't want to overwhelm his little immune system with too many foreign substances. The ear infection has cleared up and the breathing treatments have stopped. The albuterol was hyping him up to the point that he wasn't sleeping and he become so moody that none of us wanted to be around him.
Being a parent who knows about natural healing, makes me wonder about the other parents out there who go along with whatever the doctor prescribes. There are kinder and more gentle ways to deal with dis-ease. Bombarding little bodies with harsh drugs eventually takes it toll on the body physically. These harsh chemicals upset the delicate balance within the body, stripping vital nutrients and bacteria away only to leave a vulnerable immune system open for yet another attack. Working with the body using natural remedies helps the body to heal itself without upsetting the all too impressive immune system. These remedies may not work as quickly as allopathic modes, but they are time tested and do work if you are willing to be patient. I implore all parents to explore other modalities of healing and to have the courage to tell the doctor that they are going to try something else first before they run off to the nearest pharmacy to fill the prescription that was just written. If you do choose to fill that prescription, please know what it will do to the body that you are administring it to. Drugs do change the landscape of the body. I feel we need to be responsible and try to counteract, as much as possible, the negative side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.
At the end of the day my decisions on how I raise my children may raise an eyebrow or two, but I know that I am doing what is best for their health. After all the Hippocratic Oath that all doctors take says "do no harm". My interpretation of harm varies a lot from the general public's unfortunately. Oh well, my hope is that my children will be healthy and happy.

What Kate Ate 1/20/11

Green tea
Oatmeal
Black bean stew with masa harina dumplings
Brown rice and lentil soup

Season of Soup

Soup may not sound all that interesting or for matter look that appetizing, but the fact of the matter is that it is cheap, can be super tasty and is easy to make. My family always makes a face like "oh no, not another soup!" At the end of the meal they usually tell me that it was enjoyable for the most part and that I am allowed to make it again. Because I like to tinker with recipes, soup is the perfect canvas to create. You can make the soup as simple as four ingredients or get super creative and create a masterpiece. I have yet to create a master peice soup, but I am on a quest to do so. It is my goal to make a soup that even my 18 month old son will eat, for my daughter to want seconds, and for my husband to declare that I am the best soup maker ever!! Tall order, but I think I can do it. I first like to see what I have in the kitchen and go from there. Beans make an excellant ingredient for soup. They are cheap and also rather filling. Beans are also a great source of protein that is easily digested by the body. Vegetables are always a good choice. Any vegetable and as many as you like usually works. Meat for some is a must, but if you are on a tight budget it may not be possible. I have found that dumplings are a big hit in my household. Super easy to make and the kids love them. I will try to remember my recipes and share them with you; failures and all!

What Kate Ate 1/12/11
Green tea
Oatmeal
Kale, sweet potatoes, quinoa
Tea
Some soup that I made with what I could find in the kitchen!
Gingerbread cookies

Lentil Soup

With super cold temperatures plaguing us, I thought it would be a good idea to make a big pot of soup to keep me warm. I had some red lentils that I needed to use so I looked up some recipes and found a really simple one that has roots in middle Eastern culture. This soup is very easy to make, cheap and delicious. It is also a great source of fiber and protein.

Lentil soup
2 tbs of olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
4 stalk of celery
1 tsp of curry powder
2 tsp of coriander
2 tsp of cumin
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of red lentils
1 cup of brown rice
4 cups of vegetable stock
2 cups of water

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, meanwhile dice the onion. When the oil is hot add the onion and saute until softened. Add in the chopped celery and spices and saute for 2 minutes. Add the the rice, lentils, stock and water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the rice is done. This should take about 45 minutes. The lentils break apart in this recipe and give the soup a nice texture and complements the chewiness of the rice nicely. Serve with fresh lemon slices and olives. I like to put artichoke hearts on it as well. Enjoy!!

What Kate Ate 12/2/10

Wheat toast with Marmite
Mini pumpkin cupcake
Burrito
Ginger spice tea
Lentil soup

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks, no really! The name doesn't give it away or anything! I spent to the day with my wonderful family, whom I am thankful for. One of the things I love about thanksgiving is the food. My family likes to try new recipes and alternative foods so I am able to throw something odd into the mix.


This years menu was:
Steamed green beans with pomegranate seeds and roasted almond slivers
Roasted parsnips, potatoes, and sweet potatoes
Quinoa goodness
Organic turkey
Yorkshire pudding (English bread)
Cranberry relish
Vegan banana rum cheese cake



I didn't get pummeled by the family for substituting quinoa goodness for stuffing so that was good. My sister did however threaten to put me in a closet while she made stuffing! Did you notice that stuffing wasn't on the menu?! The cheese cake was really good. Easy enough to make and even my mother ate it. This is huge people. My mother hates tofu and stays at least 10 feet away from the stuff. But she ate it and said it was "very good". So, two for the vegan team.

Thank you to everyone who told me they like my blog. I am most appreciative for the support and love.

What Kate Ate 11/28/10

Quinoa goodness with almond milk (it makes a wonderful breakfast dish as well, I am so clever!)
Veggie and hummus sandwich
Apple bread
Ginger tea
Brown rice with quorn and veggie sauce

Quinoa goodness

This weekend we had our Thanksgiving potluck at our spiritual community. I signed up to take the vegan dishes of course. I made greens and this new dish I made up that is basically quinoa goodness! If any one can think of a good name let me know. The recipe for my quinoa goodness is below. I think it will be perfect on Thanksgiving day. I intend to rock the boat and suggest that we don't have stuffing and replace it with my quinoa. If you don't see any blog entries from me you will know that I have been viciously attacked by my family because I thought stuffing was too stuffy!

Quinoa goodness
1 cup of quinoa
1 apple, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 dried cranberries
1/2 chopped pecans
1 cup water
1 cup butternut squash soup
2 tbs of fresh chopped sage, or 1 tbs dried sage
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of coriander
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan heat about 1 tbs of olive oil and saute the onion and apple. When the onion starts to turn opaque add in the sage and spices. Let this cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the quinoa, soup, water, pecans, and cranberries. Bring to a slow boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for about 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
Serves about 4 to 6 people.

What Kate Ate 11/21/10

Apple cranberry bran muffin
Lots of yummy goodness at the potluck
Green curry with rice

Pull this string as I walk away

Living a holistic lifestyle for me includes be consicious of my carbon footprint. Before I throw anything away I think about where it is going, usually the land fill, compost heap or recycling bin, and if I can use it in another way before it leaves me. When I am thinking about clothing, I like to buy clothes that have already been used. Thrift shops, consignment stores, friends unwanted clothing and fabric or yarn that has been abandoned become my new wardrobe. Besides I am not one to spend copious amounts of money on clothing when a) I have two children to dress and b) have two children who will destroy what I wear!
I found a house coat or long cardican, whatever you want to call it, a couple of years ago at a thrift store and just had to have it. The length was just right and the color was so me. I tried it on but it swallowed me up. This didn't dissuade me from purchasing it, besides it was only $7 and I just had to have it. I wore it a couple of times, but the akward fit made it difficult to wear. A couple of weeks ago I switched out my summer clothes for my winter clothes and I was reunited with my coveted cardigan. Alas, you are too big for me. Never the less I will hang you in my closet so I can admire you. But wait, I have an idea! Marissa Lynch, who stared a blog about taking clothes and altering so that they are wearable again, inspired me. I know how to knit. I am pretty savvy. I could take this misfitting beauty and make it smaller. So, where to start? I took the sleeves off as they were way too big and undid the side seams. I then took the two side panels and un-knitted them!! Scary stuff for people who don't know how to knit. I re-knitted the side panels so that they would hug my side. I then undid almost all of the sleeves. Not a terribly smart move as I had no idea of what pattern I was going to follow. I found a pattern online and had my fingers crossed that it would work. Sure enough the pattern worked and I sewed them back on. Ta-da I now have a cardigan that fits me like a glove and only cost me $7. I think I learnt this skill of taking what you have a making it into something that works from my grandmother. She could practically take a holey sock and turn it into a sweater!

What Kate Ate 11/18/10

Green tea
Banana
Omelet
Panang curry
Chai white tea
Crackers and hummus
Bean and veggie burrito

Troll hair

I washed my hair the other day, and yes, I don't wash it everyday!! Well, I thought I would do something special and put some mousse in it and blow dry it to extenuate my natural wave. So much for looking good. My hair felt tacky and looked frizzy, kind of like a troll doll hair! The mousse I used was made from organic ingredients and contained no chemicals of any kind. I like the idea of using all natural products, but this one just didn't seem to work as well. I think I will stick to hair serum. It seems to work better and I don't have to blow dry my hair. After all, I end up looking like a bad version of Diana Ross after the hair dryer has attacked me!

I don't wash my hair everyday because the natural oils that my body creates, keep my hair clean and shiny. When we wash our hair everyday our body creates more oil because we have washed all of the goodness away. You can retrain your hair so that you only wash it twice a week or so. The extra oil that your body creates because you haven't wash it out will be reabsorbed by your body. The body is an awesome machine and will readjust itself according to supply and demand. For those of you who have breast feed, it is just like milk production!!

No more hair dryer and mousse for me. So long Diana Ross troll doll hair!

What Kate Ate 11/17/10

Green tea
Oatmeal
Green salad and awesome veggie chili that my fabulous friend made
Chai tea
Crackers and hummus
Indian (very descriptive, I know)