Nourished Mother

Wild Fermentation

from Anna

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by Sandor Elix Katz may well change your life. I was pretty excited about my new pickle-making jones before I read this book, and now I think I'm well on my way to total addiction to culturing all kinds of food. I've got experiments bubbling all over my kitchen! There's so much to do beyond pickles... there are so many enticing recipes in this book, each a simple, tasty way to connect to ancient foodways and improve your family's health to boot. Aside from those glorious brine-pickled vegetables, I've made simple cheese, started a sourdough culture, soaked and fermented beans and grains, and infused vinegars. (The cheese and the vinegars, strictly speaking, weren't really fermentation projects-- I didn't allow the cheese to age and the vinegar wasn't homemade-- but they were still recipes from the book and awesome fun!) I've never encountered a cookbook that got me so jazzed up to immediately test out so many recipes-- I guess it is because each one is like a science experiment... or maybe more like dabbling in magic. However, even if you aren't the sort to enthusiastically engage in kitchen wizardry, I guarantee you Katz's book will be a fascinating read. He writes passionately about the ancient origins of fermentation processes, the cultures (!) that sprang forth from their practices, and the varied societies that lend us these remarkable foods that he so obviously adores. There are recipes from all around the globe, as virtually every people have traditional ferments figuring prominently in their cuisines. I particularly love that he is so enamored with the foods of his Eastern European Jewish heritage-- some of our family's favorites!-- and am so thrilled to give it a go with his live sourdough version of his uncle's mother Tobye's Challah recipe. Katz's book also, more than being merely an instruction manual for delicious, nutritious projects, dips into being a bit of a blueprint for the ferment of our own modern society-- he is, after all, a back-to-the-lander communard political gay activist, a long-term AIDS survivor who lives in a rural queer intentional community in Tennesee. He's got plenty to say about living off the grid, milking goats, facing his own death... and can interupt directions for creating delectable foodstuffs to wax philosophic about which pronoun he should use to describe the transgender friend who originally shared the recipe with him. I especially appreciate that he is so fervent in his DIY ethic, and adamant that one does not need to buy a lot of fancy equipment or measure amounts and temperatures with scientific accuracy-- he believes wholeheartedly that the real joy in fermenting comes from allowing truly wild cultures to flourish by nourishing our microbial friends who are already with us, and really enjoying the experience of learning as you go and experimenting with what works for you, in your kitchen. He is certainly inspirational. The book genuinely is, as the backcover blurb purports, a "whirlwind trip" and you are sure to get caught up in it. He ends his book thusly: "Draw inspiration from the action of bacteria and yeast, and make your life a transformative process." Amen, brother. Amen.

(Check out Amber's older post Optimal Digestion for Optimal Health: Fermented Foods and Bitter Herbs for more).

My Think Pink Pet Peeve

from Anna

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, as I'm sure you know. There are pink ribbons everywhere, and plenty of advertising glitz urging you to buy products from manufacturers who promise to donate a percentage of their profits to finding a cure. You've been reminded thousands of times to practice self-exams, get mammograms, and be vigilant about early detection. People are walking for the cure, running for the cure... but once again, an October is nearly past and I haven't heard a single word in the popular media about prevention. In fact, the closest thing to it is when some well-meaning folk talk about prompt detection and refer to that as prevention. A quick Google search for "breast cancer prevention" will bring up all kinds of information about possible environmental risks, as well as exhortations to exercise more, eat less fat (generally the worst nutritional advice for acheiving robust health, especially for women!) and totally extreme and scary possibilities like preventative chemotherapy or prophylactic ooporectomy (the removal of your ovaries to preemptively reduce the risk!). And yet, what very simple, natural, proven practice gets not a word of mention?

Breastfeeding.

Research has shown that breastfeeding greatly reduces your risk of breast cancer. Several studies have found that nursing your baby for at least a year, or even nursing multiple children for shorter durations, can reduce your chances of developing breast cancer by about half. Half! It is hypothesized that breastfeeding prevents the cancer perhaps because of the reduced estrogen exposure caused by suppressed menstrual cycles, or maybe because nursing eliminates toxins from the breast. Regardless of the scientific whys and hows, it does. Lactation guards fiercely against this horrible disease. Is it too simple of me to just say that using your breasts for what they are designed to do greatly helps to keep them healthy and functioning well? Is it too offensive to suggest a "use 'em or lose 'em" motto? Why isn't this talked about in women's television programs, websites, magazines-- for that matter why isn't it in bold headline on the front pages of our nation's newspapers?

First and foremost, I suspect it's because breastfeeding our sons and daughters doesn't turn a profit for anybody... not for the formula companies, the medical establishment, the drug makers and pushers, the scientists... the list can go on and on.

Secondly, I suppose it's the fear that our culture has about suggesting to women that it may be in their best interest to be mothers, or even suggesting to those who are mothers that it might dramatically benefit their children and themselves to care for them intensively and dedicatedly. In general, this sort of thinking is perceived as "sexist". Once again, I believe, at the root, it is economically driven. The extreme devaluation of motherwork and homemaking in our society is fueled by the consumerist scramble to make more and have more, without any reflection on what is essential and what is luxury. Giving creedence to the notion that it is best for women, for reasons of health or otherwise, to birth babies and raise them in a natural or traditional fashion is understood, in our day, to be a misogynist attempt to shackle our gender to "drudgery" and unfulfillment. While it's just plain true that some people do not want to have children, or care for them, and they certainly should have every option available to them, I think it's also true that many more women would be inspired by motherhood and fulfilled by it if it were not for our cultural bias against it as a menial, unrewarding, unsexy pursuit that robs women of their power and dignity.

The heart of it remains that breastfeeding is an extremely effective way to reduce your risk of breast cancer... and for that matter, of ovarian and cervical cancers, as well. Now is the time for us to share this information with everyone we know... because it's not well-publicized, and it's not going to be. If we want to educate, it's going to have to be a grassroots effort. So start today-- tell a lady you love that breastfeeding could save her life. And when you see a stranger with a little pink ribbon, don't be afraid to say it to her, too.

River Cottage

from Anna

The River Cottage Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was the most thoroughly delightful surprise. I stumbled upon it completely at random, without ever having heard of the River Cottage television show which apparently was very popular in the UK, or any of the related River Cottage enterprises, or Whittingstall's other TV programs or books. I had simply done a search at my public library's website, for "natural foods", and there it was. It is so much more than a cookbook. It has recipes, indeed, and they seem just positively scrumptious-- this is helped, no doubt, by the incredible, glorious photography by Simon Wheeler-- but the bulk of the book is not instructions for specific dishes, but rather sage advice and fascinating information on being as genuinely involved as possible and sincerely invested in your food choices. Divided into sections on Garden, Livestock, Fish, and Hedgerow, Whittingstall guides the reader deftly through the possibilities... how to grow your own vegetables, herbs, and fruit, how to raise, slaughter, and butcher your own animals, how best to catch and prepare your own fish and seafoods, and the best bets for hunting or foraging for wild game, greens, and mushrooms. Each section also includes tips for choosing and buying the featured foods, should you not have the time, space, or inclination to be quite as hands-on, and is punctuated by those aforementioned amazing recipes. Oh, and let me say again--the photography! It's not merely illustrating the meals. Wheeler's photos throughout the book document stunningly the processes that Whittingstall writes of-- I'm a sucker for beautiful pictures of vegetables, but who knew that photos of carcasses could be so gorgeous?! Sumptious photography accompanies passionate writing, genuine love for simple and pure food, and a lot of warmth and wit. This is a real find. A cookbook that you will actually read cover-to-cover, fascinated. I can say with certainty that I won't be slaughtering my own pigs, and I may never put a lot of his counsel to practical use, but it is all so incredibly enthralling. See also www.rivercottage.net for more on River Cottage projects, and check out Youtube to watch clips from the television series.

Life takes Life

from Anna

Once again, I posted a little something over at my personal blog that I thought would be good readin' for the NoMo crowd, so here it is, another of my takes on what good eatin' is all about in the grand scheme of things...

So here I was again, leafing through a copy of Vegetarian Times... you may recall the last time I read an article in this publication I ended up blogging at length and getting into a huge back-and-forth "comment war" with my vegan friend-- and I'm sure my friend will be just as unhappy with what I'm going to write today, but here goes. The new issue arrived in my mailbox this weekend, and I was excited to check out all the Thanksgiving recipes; this year I'd like to forego the Tofurkey, and make an awesome feast without any mock meat, just relying on delicious "side" dishes. I'm all jazzed up about serving up a bounty of fresh seasonal delights, as local as possible, without any processed stuff. There seems to be a lot of inspiring recipes in the magazine, too, so that's the good news. The bad news is, I read a little something that got me all wound up and ranting to my 19-month old daughter, who of course understands none of it and responds merely by throwing up her pudgy little arms, wiggling her fingers rapidly, and babbling more and more loudly. While this is, admittedly, actually a little fun for us both, I don't really feel totally satisfied by it and would like some adults to pay attention to what grieves me.

In the "Letters" section, there is a little sidebox called "tell vt" that this month features reader-submitted pithy comebacks to being teased about vegetarianism at the Thanksgiving table. A reader named Deb wrote:

My husband and I have been vegetarians for 30 years and whenever we are confronted with questions from others we always say, "We don't have to take life to sustain life, we value all living things too highly for that." It makes our point without being too confrontational.

Oh, Deb. When you say it I'm sure you feel smug in your enlightenment, and moral superiority. But you sound just plain stupid.

You do, in fact, take life. Every living being must take life to sustain life. That's the way it goes; that is the design of the universe. It's a messy business, yes, but Life continuously eats Itself. That means killing. Taking life. All of creation kills to eat, then eventually dies and becomes food itself. That is, exactly, how Life is sustained.

You may mean to say, Deb, that you do not feel it necessary to take other animals' lives to sustain the life of the human animal. That would bring us closer to the truth of your philosophy. It's totally true that you will be able to stay alive without killing other animals. And, hey, I can abide that. Do your thing.

But you couch this in terms of your love and respect for "all living things". Presumably, those of us who do kill and eat animals do not value all living things. But who are we kidding here, Deb? You do not value all living things with equanimity. You are, no doubt, finding much more value in creatures with a face than in those beings that grow in the dirt. You could say this is a silly argument; you could scoff at the idea that plants and fungi are beings with equal value to animals, but essentially it's the same callous scoff directed at animal liberationists and their claims that our furry or feathered friends are worthy of the same rights to life and liberty enjoyed, in theory, by human beings. In essence, the whole argument is based on the idea that there is a hierarchy of worth among living beings, and that those beings most like humans are more valuable. You may argue that you have to kill and eat something, so it should be "lowest" on the food chain... but those "low" somethings are someones, too. It's just easier to be less sentimental about their deaths when they don't bleed or struggle (perceptibly).

I do not believe, Deb, that there is any inherent contradiction in saying that one can love animals and kill them for food, any more than I think that there is a contradiction in saying that one can respect plant life but enjoy eating vegetables. Your intent with your statement to meat-eaters seems to be to subtly showcase your spiritual ascendancy. I, personally, think it's much more mature, in terms of metaphysical worldview, to recognize that there is far less differentiation than is commonly accepted between humans, animals, plants, and even inanimate material. I think it is wholly possible to care about Life, respect It and love It, and be a full participant in Its cycles of death and rebirth. Killing is, unarguably, a requisite activity for the living. It must be done, and it can be done with mindfulness and even tenderness.

I've never raised or slaughtered my own livestock... but I've spent some years working closely with produce, and have very much enjoyed gardening and growing plants-- and I have a deep respect for and a strong belief in the emotional/spiritual life of our green friends. I definitely feel pained to see neighborhood kids thoughtlessly rip a branch from a tree, or tear up roots from a bed with callous disregard. When I pick a wildflower for my daughter, I offer thanks. We too often forget that this kind of reverence is needed in the world. I think it's profoundly disrespectful to let a bunch of broccoli rot in the back of the fridge; that plant gave its life for yours.

I think it would be a fine, beautiful thing to be able to honor an animal with responsible care, and a compassionate slaughter. I think giving an animal a happy life and lovingly transforming him into a nourishing meal can certainly be a spiritual activity...one that connects us to all Life, to G-d.

We do have to take life to sustain life. And we can do that while valuing all living things. Highly.

Full Moon Feast and Others

from Anna

I've read several good books lately, and I thought I'd share my thoughts on a few...

Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection by Jessica Prentice-- First of all, a million thanks to Amber for recommending this! It's one of the finest books I've ever read. It was traumatic to return it to the library. Seriously. What an incredible, beautiful book. Using the lunar calendar (something we really dig and are really attuned to in our family, as we cycle through the year of Hebrew months!) the author explores not only the seasonal foods available, but the history, lore, and culture connected to our nourishment during these moons. The rhythm of this book is truly exquisite, and it's just fascinating. Looking to indigenous foodways to examine what we've lost in our industrialized, packaged, denatured modern food culture, Prentice weaves an amazing tapestry of traditions, mythologies, recipes, personal memoir, and agricultural/culinary history. A deeply satisfying read-- it'll feed your soul. See also www.wisefoodways.com.

Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon-- This was also a very enjoyable food read, although it didn't take me soaring to the same spiritual heights as Prentice's effort. It's the story of two writers (and life partners) who spend a year experiencing the joys and struggles of eating food primarily from within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver home. I've been pretty interested in Canada lately, so I must say I really relished the descriptions of the farming and wilderness in their part of the world. I loved reading about the history of the area, I learned a lot more than I even knew I wanted to about salmon, and it was generally fun (and funny) to tag along with the authors as they searched for great finds, divided mouse turds from wheatberries, learned how to can, and came face-to-face with their neighbor the bear during their summer visit to their cabin in the British Columbian boondocks. I sometimes wished there was a little less about their vague relationship woes, but all in all, it was an inspiring read... I got pretty excited about trying harder to produce more for the year in our own garden, and relying even more on the local foods at our farm markets. And for more, you can check out www.100milediet.org.

Babywearing by Maria Blois-- So, when you're all done with all the foodin' and feastin'... strap that baby to your back (or front, or hip) and go for a nice brisk hike! This book is a great comprehensive guide to the art of babywearing, plain and simple. Blois, a doctor, La Leche League leader, and mother of two, covers everything you need for a solid introduction to the benefits of wearing your babe, and information on choosing the right kind of carrier(s) for you. There are plenty of anecdotes from mamas and papas experienced in babywearing, and easy instructions for the use of different types of slings, wraps, and other carriers with lots of good photos to guide you. Even as a veteran babywearer, I picked up a few new useful tips, and a new tie to try out with our mei-tei, to make a rucksack carry more comfy. Very nice.

Last but not least, I've got to give a shout-out to this charming book for the wee ones: Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett. I just happened upon a boardbook version in our local Ollie's discount store, and although it's not actually one of Stella's favorites (I think it's still just a little wordy for her taste) it has become one of my favorite kids' books to read to her. The pictures are just too lovely, with an awesome Northern European flavor. Annie lives in a little cabin on the edge of the woods, it's winter, and her beloved cat is acting a little funny. The cat runs off into the woods to get a little more privacy... can you guess what for?... and Annie gets lonely. She starts making cornmeal cakes to lure new animal friends out of the snowy woods. None of the wild animals are really suitable for taming as pets, however. The ending is happy, of course, as Annie ends up with more furry friends than she started with... and the tale is continuously foreshadowed on each page in the beautiful borders. I'm betting this book will definitely grow on my little lady, as she has a little more patience. For now, I skip some of the text and point excitedly to the moose, bears, and wolves.

Violet Folklore Is Rockin' It!

I just want to alert anyone who has been interested in the creation of me and Sasha's new online vintage clothing shop Violet Folklore ~ Haunted Threads at Etsy to the blog that we have set up for that project. I won't be posting about it here at Nourished Mother anymore (aside from the blatant self promotion over on the right there) so I can get back to The Business of Being Mama.

I will, however, say that it is going so well so far! We don't even have a banner yet and haven't done any real marketing, yet we've already sold 5 pieces and have had interest expressed in many others. It brought us great joy to sell the Gunne Sax wedding dress to a woman who will be getting married in the spring! PLUS, the vintage blogger at About.com wrote a post about our very favorite piece ever ever ever, a psychadelic 60s capelet made of Irish wool. 

So here is the Official Violet Folklore Blog. And here is the About.com piece.

And here we are on Flickr and MySpace. We are posting pictures of items that will be for sale soon (or someday) on both of these sites because it takes quite a long time to enter a single item on Etsy, what with both me and Sasha's propensity for verbosity, especially when it comes to things we are passionate about (such as a 70s Native print bohemian cozy dozy poncho). And it has happened a few times already that someone has seen something they want before it is up on Etsy and asked for a quote and we have been able to get them their fabulous and totally unique dress or pair of boots or jacket without going through the process of listing on Etsy.

So, that option is available.

Here are a few shots of our faves (so far!)~

The poncho described above:

Another 70s boho look- this one a precious baby doll dress:

Totally 80s bubble dress:

Red snow bunny boots:

Totally amazing suede cape:

A 70s cross stitch butterfly design purse:

And, of course, the Cape of Great Love, mentioned above and recently blogged about by one of the country's most known websites:

And these are just 7 of the 67 items listed as of this writing, and there are hundreds more to come! 

See? Told ya I was gonna work it so that thrift shopping was my job ;-)

Four Parenting Books That Are Teaching Me New Ways To Be In Relationship

And not just with my kid, but with my partner, my friends, and everyone else too. (Speaking of partnership, I very highly recommend this book).

Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles: Winning for a Lifetime

Playful Parenting

ScreamFree Parenting

I Love You Rituals

Weird Search Hits

One of the cooler blog features here on TypePad (I'm sure it's everywhere) is the ability to check your Stats

and see how many hits you're getting, and in some cases where they're coming from. For example, if someone 

types something into a search engine and a few of the words match one of my posts, my page comes up and 

they click on it, I can go back and see what it was that they typed in. (If they were linked to my page from 

another website I can also see that).

Here are 10 of the weirdest searches I've seen (I've been saving this post until I had 10). I'll update this 

regularly as weirder and weirder stuff comes up.

Fair warning: a few are pornographic- and very oddly so.

diaper town where people wear diapers 24/7

grown man suckling woman's breast free video

my friends hot mother.com

old woman menstruate in kitchen

women pleasuring herself with household items

young couple with one baby wear dressing sense in fashion

ferment, mother

intercourse with a carrot

free love binding spells using his picture & my menstrual blood

witch school did shakira good too

One good thing is that my blog comes up first when someone Googles "Mothering Websites"!

The Power Of Sauer. Kraut, that is.

Yesterday morning while paying for my groceries at the local food co-op an elderly man came up and threw down his bag of bulk oatmeal onto the conveyor belt. I smiled at him and we started talking. He told me how he and his wife eat oatmeal every morning. We started talkin about where in town we live and a little about our lives, and he told me he was "90+" years old. A few minutes later, out of nowhere, he said "We used to eat sauerkraut every day when I was a kid, we'd make it in big wooden barrels."

I said "No wonder you lived so long!". A perplexed but delighted smile came over his face and he said, "That's what my doctor said!".

The man obviously didn't hold a degree in nutrition, he hadn't read anything championing The Atkins Diet or The China Study or even The Weston A. Price Foundation's nutritional guidelines (like I need to add a link for Atkins), he had just followed the foodways of his family and ancestors, and had the glowing face and spring in his step to show it.

Can't wait until our new batch of sauerkraut is done fermenting!

(And speaking of oatmeal, which makes a fabulous wintertime breakfast for the whole fam, especially loaded with whole butter or ghee, honey, cinnamon, and other goodies- you do know to soak it overnight first, right?).

Back At Ya Sister

After I posted about how the cardboard box is more nutritious than the cereal it contains a few days ago I got a lot of hits. When I looked through my stats I saw that many of them came from desertmedicinewoman.blogspot.com, aka Gaia's Gifts: Plant Spirit Medicine and Herbal Lore. I followed the link and discovered that it was herbalist Darcey Blue who ran the blog and who had posted a link to my post, and that her site was full of good information and witty observations. 

This was my favorite of her posts ( from my browsings so far). Follow this link to read the rest of this article:

Top 10 Actually Healthy Budget Pantry Essentials

So I found this article today, on the top 10 money saving pantry essentials, and frankly was appalled at MOST of the suggestions this article makes. Follow them, and you are well on your way to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and even diabetes.

Here's their top 10 suggestions, and my top 10 improvements that are friendly on the wallet and your health!