What We Ate Wednesday: Fallout Edition

April 20th, 2011 - filed under: The Food » Food Styles



Remember last Wednesday, and how everything was all “gee whiz so serene” in those pictures, all bright natural light and perfectly plated food. Remember? Well, lest you think my life is always like that, may I present this week. This Monday that started with that little monster up there, looking oh-so-innocent after dragging me out of bed in the way-way-way-a.m. Don’t be fooled by those giant sweet peepers. ‘Cause by 5 p.m. I was texting Damian in desperation:



Thus the play on words in the title of this post. Because this was the Monday we went into complete core reactor meltdown. Well, at least I did.

And then, you know, the for reals nuclear radiation. O ha ha! A double entendre, do you see?

But seriously, why am I the only person I know who’s concerned about this? In the wake of the incomprehensible devastation that Japan *continues to* experience, there is a cloud of nuclear radiation that has drifted across the ocean. Everyone in my blog bubble wants to talk about VegNews scandals (in LOLcats even!) and the mainstream media’s stuck salivating over hyper-partisan politics, and that leaves me, alone in the corner reading reports from France. Like this one.

But you came here for pictures of food, right?! Right. Well, I do love me some meal planning, and I’ve always been a fan of theme parties. So these days I’m sort of theme-party-planning our food – it’s a Rockin’ Anti-Radiation Extravaganza! Woo-Hoo! So here we go.






Like I said, about that way-a.m. Waits managed to keep himself occupied while I got down to business.






Coffee
My beloved. I like it dark and strong. French roast. With agave and coconut milk.

This is a picture of spilled coffee. You can’t really see it on the coffee-colored floor, but I had to include it, see, for foreshadowing.This sort of set the stage for the day.





Baby Breakfast
Waits ate played with his oatmeal with homemade prune puree (Farmers Market prunes!) and coconut oil. This kept him pretty happy while I made our green smoothie.








Smoothie
We split a big green smoothie, but this smoothie was made without fresh greens. Why?? Because apparently broad-leafed greens are radioactive. So we’re holding off on fresh greens right now. (I’ve stocked up on frozen spinach – frozen before March 11) Instead I added a huge scoop of chlorella to the banana-mango-pineapple-hemp protein concoction. Chlorella is an amazing algae that has been shown to have a protective effect against radiation damage. It’s also used for chelation therapy, to bind heavy metals and remove them from the body. (1 & 2)




We also shared a spoonful of molasses, and then . . .




. . . oh dear. This is where the day really took a turn. And thus began the spiral . . . out . . . of . . . control.






Baby Snack
After breakfast we bathed (together – best thing ever! why did it take me so long to start doing this??!) and then Waits went down for his morning nap. Our days usually go nap -> walk -> lunch. But on this particular day, he slept a long time and when he woke up I was starving. So back into the kitchen we went. He munched on almond butter and banged pots and pans around, while I . . .






Juice!
Parsley-cucumber-lime juice, with a whole half of that bunch of parsley. It was seriously delicious. Cucumber is super hydrating and lime is alkalinizing, both of which assist detox pathways. The parsley is believed to act as a chelation agent and has been used as such for ages. It’s in the same family as cilantro, which has been shown to mediate amalgam toxicity. (3)

Want to see something really cute?





He’s such a dang sweetie, I can never stay frustrated for long.



Did you know you can write directly onto a jar with a sharpie? Comes right off with a little soap and water.







More Snacking
Now our schedule was all messed up. The order of operations had been upended and my tummy was thusly confused. We walked the dog and hit the grocery store, puttered around and did some chores. I made a raw miso-tahini dip to have on-hand for the week. I was going to make miso soup but like I said, my tummy got confused.

Miso is theorized to help mitigate the damage done by radiation exposure. (4)

Even though it was after 3 and I was running on the fumes of smoothies and juice, it didn’t occur to me to eat this delectable dip. I fed some to Waits (riding on his favorite – cucumbers) and packed it all up pretty, you know, “to have on-hand for the week”. Like I said, confused.

Instead . . .






. . . we made more coffee.

By then Waits was [over]due for his afternoon nap. We tromped upstairs and I tried to put him down. And tried. And tried. Oh, teething. And it was right about as he was gnawing on my nipple (OW MY GOD WHY GOD WHY) that my blood sugar crashed. Completely.

Me? Not so good with low blood sugar. And since Waits was *clearly* not going to sleep, we hustled back downstairs to get this mama some food, STAT.




I gave Waits a sippy cup full of nettle infusion – nettles are high in iodine, more on that in a minute – which he promptly abandoned as soon as he saw my plate. *sigh* My plate:




Very Late Lunch
Perhaps the ugliest, most pathetic handrolls I’ve ever seen. I was shaking by the time I was composing them. At least they were tasty! Cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, with a smear of aforementioned miso-tahini sauce. With extra veggies and sauce on the side.

Nori (and all seaweed) is super high in iodine. Right now there’s radioactive iodine in the air, food, and water. It’s important to eat foods high in iodine to saturate the receptor sites in your thyroid (and elsewhere), so that the radioactive iodine has nowhere to bind. (Does that make sense?)

The teething/cranky/over-tired tornado that was my son was now reaching a crescendo, and right about then is when I sent that text to Damian. We were a mess. A big hot mess.

Luckily, within an hour Damian was home and offering me some much-needed relief. I took some deep breaths, put on a podcast, and got down to cooking (my meditation).










Dinner
YUM. Beetloaf (which is mostly lentils) with cilantro pesto (remember, cilantro is a powerful detoxifier: 3), fiddleheads in caramelized leeks (because we’re not eating leafy greens) (oh and also because HELLO?! alien food!), and potatoes (sweets for me, yukons for Damian) with rosemary. (If you don’t already think I’m totally off my rocker, let me tell you about how rosemary can fight radiation: 5 & 6)




Baby version. I *love* these little stainless steel plates I found at the Asian market! So cute right?

After dinner we had a nice long walk and then Waits was finally ready for bed. Whew!

I enjoyed 2 tall glasses of nettles (not pictured) while I worked very late into the night (Super Secret Project #2, word).

WHAT. A. DAY.

~~~

Part of me, the more western-bred-scientist part, laughs at myself for being a total hippie and talking about things like “detox pathways”. But the other half says, “well why the hell not?” It certainly can’t hurt. And I truly, sincerely believe in the power of food-as-medicine. I also believe in the power of belief. So, we’re eating an anti-radiation diet . . . which isn’t much of a deviation from our normal diet . . . and is equally delicious!

What do you think?

Please join my in holding Japan in your hearts as they continue to deal with this absolute tragedy. My piddly, privileged fears are nothing compared to what they face these days.

  • http://lovesveggies.blogspot.com/ Lindsay

    Awesome post Sayward. Especially the end with the sincere thoughts to the country of Japan. I feel the same. No matter what life is shaking in my face these days it doesn’t even compare to the pain and suffering Japan continues to endure.

    I’ve never tried making fiddlehead ferns! I assume you grow them yourself, or can you buy them anywhere? Looks interesting.

    Thanks for all the sources on radiation and healing foods. Now I have lots of juicy reading to keep me occupied tonight :)

  • Jacquelyn

    Oh my! I know those days, girl. Wow, do I ever. Thankfully they are few and far between (especially after teething). Hang in there!

    This may just be my favorite bonzai post ever. And it’s epic, which I love. Thanks for all the radiation detox research. Quick question: is it all safe during pregnancy? I’m assuming so, since you are still breastfeeding and mostly those warnings go hand in hand. But I also know some detoxification is not recommended during pregnancy, so I just thought I’d double check :-) Also, have you been able to find any more reliable sources? I’m freaking out right along with you with nary a news story in sight!

    Love bathing with baby. I think bathing with teeny-tiny ones is a great way to avoid buying those silly baby tubs. You know?

    Also: stainless steel plates, I love.

  • http://creativespiderbite.blogspot.com/ Pat

    I just showed your post to my husband, because I so had to smile while reading it….you may as well could have described a day in our household…did you ever try Chamomilla and a carrot straight out of the fridge to chew on?
    Poor souls in Japan…all our problems seem so silly compared to theirs :-(

  • Minna

    I second Jacquelyn’s comment – quite an epic post! I seriously lol’d at the “. . . oh dear. This is where the day really took a turn [...]” photo :D

    These are the first pictures here where Waits really looks like a big boy! Maybe it’s the hair? He’s adorable.

    The radiation is such bad news, I hope the radioactivity levels go down fast. There doesn’t seem to be any threat over here, thankfully, but then again there are no local greens in stores anyway…

    *Joins with holding Japan in our hearts.*

  • Moira

    The joys of being a mom! Thankfully you have a supportive husband, a super cute boy, and amazing energy.

    This website might help in keeping track of radiation in your area.
    http://www.epa.gov/japan2011/rert/radnet-data-map.html

    Fortunately, air and precipitation radiation is monitored frequently in Portland.. not so in many areas of California.. why is that??

  • http://www.bigmamamorgan.blogspot.com Jessica

    You are incredible – I loved everything about your post! For such a “no good, horrible day”, you got some beautiful pictures of Waits and yummy foods.
    We are so lucky to be where we are, safer than the people in Japan. There have been a lot of prayers said in our house for them.

  • Kathryn

    Great post! I too have made the “I’m sending our kids to the orphanage” call to my husband. But just look at that “I’m not doing anything” face that Waits has in the first picture and you have to laugh! What joy our kids do bring even on rough days.

    I too am concerned about Japan. My heart goes out to them.

  • Sandra

    This is a wonderful post! Thank you for all the information on radiation and detoxing. I can’t imagine what those poor souls in Japan are going through. :’(

  • teegan

    I don’t think I’ve ever posted, but I’ve been reading for months. Thought I’d say
    1) I truly enjoy reading (and learning from) your posts!
    2) My husband gets a kick out of both your waits and the man from whom you got his name.
    3) Since you didn’t post a recipe on the miso dip, I thought I’d make my own tonight. I already had whole wheat/spelt/oat/walnut bread in the oven, and we bought olives and gouda and peppercorn mustard cheddar earlier today, so I caramelized onions and ginger and added it to miso & tahini & a little water & garlic. My husband nearly swooned at the sight of all of the above (accompanied by carrots, broccoli, and jicama). Thanks for the inspiration! It was delicious.

  • http://amongtheknights.blogspot.com Sara

    Thank you so much for the info on protecting against radiation! I’m in France right now taking a great physics course and while I have learned a great deal about what went wrong at Fukushima and what radiation can do to the body I haven’t learned anything about how to counteract/fight these effects.
    My heart goes out to Japan, as well.
    The whole situation just makes me worry about so many other things in the world. I have to say though your pictures brighten things up! I can’t wait to read about this secret project #2!

  • http://urbanana.net Lauren

    Oi, this sounds like my every day with my 17 month old! Especially the low blood sugar part. Thank you for posting it. It makes me feel not so alone.

    When you cook dinner, how long to spend in the kitchen? Whenever I try to cook, I feel like I’m in the kitchen for 1-3 hours… washing and chopping veggies, waiting for water to boil, making sauces, baking, etc. I hate it when I resort to quick-and-easy pre-packaged meals because I know they’re not as healthy and wholesome as cooking from scratch (especially when it comes to sodium). But now that I’m 7 months pregnant, I just can’t stand up in the kitchen for that long!

    So, am I doing something wrong? Could I be managing my kitchen time more efficiently? Or is it normal to spend that much time to prepare healthy food?

    I’d also love to hear more about meal planning! Do you plan a whole week of dinners in advance? Do you know every morning what you’re going to cook that evening? Maybe I would spend less time in the kitchen if I were more organized and prepared (for example, getting nuts soaking in time).

  • http://www.postcardsandphotography.blogspot.com SJ Smith

    Aww, you sweet Mama. I love how real you are that you will still document crazy days! Waits is still the most precious baby, gosh, now toddler (!!) I’ve ever seen! I A-D-O-R-E the first picture of him, he KNOWS he might be in trouble, is gonna try his darndest to win you over with those sweet little eyeballs!!! *gah! love!* I just really appreciate how genuine you are :-)

    You aren’t the only one worried about the situation in Japan. My bf decided not to study abroad in Japan and had to change his major from Japanese to multi-lengual because of the radiation threat. We weren’t scared until we saw that article you posted, and heard the same report. He had AML leukemia a few years ago and survived that with out radiation, and figures he’d better not take his chances with it. We have friends over there and it is a sad and scary situation.

  • Kaila

    Fiddleheads are so delicious! Yum!
    Waits is just THE cutest thing I have ever seen! He seems like a really fun little guy, you lucky parents! :)

  • http://sweetness-light.tumblr.com Natasja

    WOWOWOWO this post was awesome! Mister Waits, you may be trouble but you certainly make for some good writing from your Mama.

    those yummy-looking Fiddleheads (what do they taste like!?) look like the NZ koru (baby fern heads) which I have heard you can eat, and have always wanted to try but they are a protected plant.

    && OMG please, BeetLoaf recipe?! NOM NOM NOM.

  • http://sweetness-light.tumblr.com Natasja

    ps: I also am concerned about the radiation factor but not sure if I should be – being in Australia & going home to NZ soon I dunno if our foods are affected?? Does anyone have any links from that part of the world, as I’m pregnant & really need to know if I should be being extra extra extra careful!?
    x

  • http://www.thedomesticvegan.com Jess – The Domestic Vegan

    Lovely post, Sayward! I know it wasn’t the best day for you, but it still made me smile to read about it. It’s so refreshing to read about a real mama dealing with the ups & downs, twists & turns of everyday life.

    I love parsley in my green juices, too! THE BEST!

    And I am definitely continuing to keep Japan in my thoughts. Such devastation.

  • MaidenOregon

    Almost like a comedy skit!!!! Oh Mama….I’ve been there. Good times.

  • treesa

    Oh jeezy creeezy. Thank you for sharing the lovely info as always…even though your day was really hectic! (trying to refrain from the word crazy because I know it triggers some mental health oppression stuff for some)

    thank you for keeping japan in your heart and mind – the media and thus folks’ attention switches so fast it gives me whiplash.

    that beetloaf recipe looks LOVELY. hope things get less stressful for you. t

  • http://www.raggamuslims.wordpress.com eternitysojourner

    you’re definitely not alone with your japan concerns! we have friends moving to tokyo (the husband is already there), so he gives updates. my herbalism school had an article about radiation exposure tips (http://articles.herballegacy.com/precautionary-measures-for-possible-radiation-plume/) and my cali co-herbalism student buddy sent me some health guides on the same topic(cure-guide.com/).
    we’ve been increasing our kelp consumption but your post definitely motivates me to look at the radiation levels on this part of the planet more closely. thanks for the reminder!

  • http://radiomomrhetoric.wordpress.com/ radiomomrhetoric

    I join in holding Japan in my heart…..

    and there are daysI too want to make a deposit at the orphanage~that cracked me up!

    Love to see Waits eating so healthy…it is most certainly refreshing!

  • HeatherG

    I so enjoy peeking in on your life, so very different than my own, yet so very inspiring and smile inducing. Your knowledge, and what springs from it, is a beautiful thing. Thank you for sharing your world…and edible Waits – I mean, just look at those eyes filled with excitement about his cucumber!

  • natashia

    bathing with your toddler is so much fun :) I also didn’t do it much when my daughter was younger because the second i took my top off, she would go straight for the milk :) but now at two and a half she has much more self-control and (most nights – we are night-time bathers :) she can wait until we are cuddled up in bed.

    Also, fiddle heads? wtf? I have never heard of these before, let alone seen them! I will be hunting them down….must try!

  • http://peasandcrayons.blogspot.com Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons

    This made me realize that I totally need to learn more about you, new friend! =) Where are you living? I read the articles about the produce and was wondering how widespread the radiation is spreading and where you’re living and all that jazz! Good call on previously frozen greens!

    ohmygosh and I love the idea of the parsley blend! I think I want to make that once I start growing it!! =) I hope you’re little one is giving you a break from toddler chaos and behaving for you today! too adorable! <3

    TTY soon love!

  • Kristin

    thanks so much for this info! i’m really interested in chlorella, but i read that most is produced in japan. is that safe or do you know of another brand/source not produced in japan? thanks!

  • Meghan

    I regret having read this to my husband. He suggested I go to my local Asian store and see if they are having a sale in products from Japan. We can stock up while other people are being crazy! (Or so he says…)

  • http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}

    Excellent post, as always! I’m freaked out but am doing what I can by ramping up detox on the homefront – my mother’s side of my family has long practiced chelation, and my aunt and uncle have been a treasure trove of information these past few weeks. My husband is already sort of a George Sibley, so I’m keeping concerns to myself for the time being and just doing what I can. After last weekend’s tornadoes ripping through our state, I’m sure he’ll be digging a root cellar/bomb shelter in no time.

    @Moira – thank you for that link, now I can check anywhere in the U.S. easily. We have a few nuclear plants in N.C. and I keep on top of local radiation levels via their website for my area.

  • Dana

    I do think of the people in Japan a lot… No matter what I am going trough, they are in a much worse situation! Broad-leaf veggies are radio active? Seriously? I don’t eat them, never-ever (I am very weird when it comes to food, there is a lot I don’t eat), but still… kind of scary…

    I love that first picture of Waits, that really made my day!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Lindsay – Yeah, it really does put things into perspective.

    I actually got the fiddleheads at the Farmer’s Market, though they were wild harvested by my mushroom dude.

    @ Jacquelyn – Yay, fave post ever huh? =D I know I answered you on Twitter already, but I do bleive Parsley is contraindicated during at least the first trimester as it can cause uterine contractions.

    As for detox in general, I am definitely more careful because I’m breastfeeding (and same goes for pregnancy). I would not do a cleanse or even a juice feast during this time. However I think moderate chelation-type stuff is fine. A good rule of thumb (well, at least *my* rule of thumb) is if you feel the detox (like flu/cold symptoms) then you’re going to fast for pregnancy/breastfeeding.

    I’d love other people’s thoughts on this!

    @ Pat – I think a lot of mommy’s can relate to this sort of madness. =)

    @ Minna – Oh man, standing on the high chair tray seems to be his new favorite game. Eek! Doesn’t he look so grown up though? I do think it’s the hair, but also his face has changed. He’s growing up so fast! *tear*

    @ Moira – Oh my gosh, that link is great! Thank you!

    @ Jessica – I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, in the midst of no-good very bad days, I’m practicing keeping my humor. =)

    @ Kathryn – It’s true, how can you stay mad at the sweetest little faces? I guess that’s why they make kids so cute!

    @ Sandra – My pleasure to share it!

    @ teegan – Hi! Thanks for commenting. And that dip sounds great, I’m so glad I could help inspire!

    @ Sara – That report I linked to is out of France so it will be directly applicable to you. It’s so scary, and easy to get overwhelmed, thinking about all the madness in the world. Important to appreciate the small things. =)

    @ Lauren – You’re definitely not alone! I do spend about an hour in the kitchen making dinner, a little more or a little less depending on my ambition. But I love to cook and relish that time. I could cut it down if I wanted.

    I think a lot of it comes from practice, just learning efficiency tricks that work in your in kitchen in your own situation. I find that “order of operations” is super important to maximize dinner productivity. That’s the sort of thing I used to really have to think through, but now it’s second nature. Lots of practice!

    There are a couple really good practices for healthy, whole foods eating. I always have a dip on hand (like the tahini one in this post) that I make at the start of each week. I also try to make a crock pot of beans each week, to eat for snacks/lunches and to use in dinners. Another great trick is to chop all your veggies as soon as you get them home from the store. With pre-made dip and pre-cut veggies you have NO excuses!

    For dinners I don’t plan too far ahead because I’m really big on wastefulness. So I buy veggies on sale when I see them and then plan my dinners (either that morning or the night before) by what needs to get cleaned out of the crisper. Again, I think this takes practice to perfect, but now that I’m good at it I never waste anything!

    I really need to write a post on this. Also, anyone else want to chime in??

    ~~~

    Baby boy just woke up, I’ll answer the rest of the comments later!

  • http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}

    My two cents’ worth on meal planning: The more fresh produce my family eats, the less I’m able to plan ahead. I only plan one night ahead most of the time. The following rules of thumb have helped me keep most of our food out of the compost bin / hen house:

    1. Stock up on bulk bin items when I find them on sale;
    2. Stock up on produce when I find it on sale (this is especially good if trying to cut down on the cost of organic foods) and then if I have too much to use right away, I preserve it in some way (freezing, canning, jumbo batch of pesto, etc);
    3. Every weekend I pressure cook my beans for the following week and then freeze them in two-cup increments;
    4. Every weekend I start soaking anything that I want to use in sprouted form, especially if it’s something with a long soaking time;
    5. I try to have a solid plan for the next evening’s dinner before I hit the sheets each night. This forces me to check the crisper for anything that needs to be used up, and also gives me enough time to pre-soak anything that I’ll need – cashews, for instance. I also ask my family for ideas during dinner for the next evening’s meal, and take that into consideration.

  • Cedar

    ahhhhh!!! so good to read this post. my son is almost 3 months old and the other day i was joking that i’m “going out for cigarettes”. i looove his little face so much but there are days when i’m so overwhelmed with it all. nice to see that i’m not alone. it’s all inevitable! especially when you put your whole heart into being a good parent.

    and NO you’re definitely not the only one concerned about the radiation. it’s scary stuff. it feels like the world is on fire. with the gulf coast oil spill and now this radiation business. our planet is in trouble and it concerns me greatly.

    -sigh-

    the baby is summoning me so i must go but i just wanted to say how much i appreciate this post. totally brightened my mood!!

    p/s
    your kiddo is adorable!!!!

  • http://spabettie.com Kristina @ spabettie

    oh my GAAH, Waits is just too adorable. seriously. and how lucky is he to be exposed (totally not intended as a joke!) to such amazing REAL foods and fresh juice? that is seriously awesome stuff. of course we all have bad days, but he would certainly perk up even my worst one :D

    the whole situation in Japan is so heartbreaking and scary to me – they continue to receive my prayers, and money the few times I have been able to. as far as radiation, I am friends and colleagues to too many naturopaths to ignore what the potential is… and you said it – if it’s not too far off your normal diet anyway, why not?

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ SJ Smith – Wow, that’s crazy that your bf decided to switch majors, but with his medical history I totally understand. Not something to mess around with! Good for him for getting through it without radiation though, that’s amazing!

    @ Kaila – Thanks! We say, “twice the work but four times the fun!” ;-D

    @ Natasja – Yes! They are fern heads, so probably very similar. The flavor is hard to explain, very unique. I’m working on the beetloaf recipe but it *will* be coming eventually. =)

    This link may help? – http://www.arpansa.gov.au/

    @ Jess The Domestic Vegan – I love hearing that so many people enjoyed this more casual style of post. It’s more inspiration for me to let my guard down a bit. I know us mamas need to empathize and relate to each other! We’re all living our crazy little lives and doing what we gotta do to make it work. =)

    @ MaidenOregon – Totally sketch comedy. Sometimes I just have to step back and LAUGH.

    treesa – I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’ll hopefully be getting the beetloaf recipe up soon!

    @ eternitysojourner – Eek! I would be very nervous to move to that part of the world right now. Best of luck to your friends. And thanks for the links.

    @ radiomomrhetoric – Haha, well I’ve been threatening my dogs for years with taking a trip to the pound for a drop-off. Works for kiddies as well! ;-D

    @ HeatherG – Aw, my pleasure. And he is very edible, isn’t he? Soetimes I just can’t help but nibble on his toesies, ha!

    @ natashia – Well, I just nurse in the tub if he wants to, hahha. I don’t know, is that weird? And fiddleheads! Yes, they are the tops of fern buds so they’re only available this time of year. Check your local co op or FarMar?

    @ Jenn L – We’re in Portland Oregon! Awesome city for produce. And homegrown parsley is the BEST, I eat it in my smoothies all summer.

    @ Kristin – That is a great question. I would say look for one that was harvested before March 11. No matter where it’s grown, I sort of don’t trust anything coming out of the ocean these days. =( I already stocked up on nori and wakame for that reason.

    @ Meghan – Actually I did the same thing (for different reasons). I went straight to the Asian market and stocked up on anything coming out of the ocean/from that part of the world, since now I’ll be avoiding those things for a while.

    @ Monika – I just think it’s so rad that your family has always practiced chelation. Yay hippie parents!

    Also awesome advice on food prep, it sounds like we do things *very* similarly (though you are much more eloquent about it, haha)

    @ Dana – It is scary, truly. But like you said, what perspective eh?

    @ Cedar – “Especially when you put your whole heart into being a parent” – yes, that is SO true. A great thing to keep in mind, thank you.

    @ Kristina @ spabettie – I feel so lucky that, at least so far, he’ll eat the crazy green goop his hippie mama feeds him. =) (to be fair, I eat it too and think it tastes pretty dang good!)

    What do your naturopath friends have to say about all this???

  • Kate in SB

    Oh Sayward. This post is hilarious. Hope your week gets a lot better. :)

  • Cedar

    Sayward, for the record, I nursed mine in the tub the other day. It was quite convenient and he was happy to do be surrounded by warmth while he ate. :D Plus, I get to relax my tired muscles for a little longer. Everyone wins!
    (i have to admit that i keep my fingers crossed that he won’t poo in the tub. so far so good though. haha!)

  • http://livecompletely.blogspot.com/ kory

    I think this is my favorite post too, I was practically hysterical over the messages to your hubby since we’ve had quite a few of those days here lately (and my pg hormones are sooo not helping in the humor dept, yikes). Anyway, thanks so much for the laugh and the info!

    P.S. We made crock pot yogurt today (finally) and I have a nettle infusion in the fridge! It was bonzai day I think ;)

  • Sonja

    honest,
    funny
    and beautiful!
    Would you mind posting the recipe for the miso-tahini-dip? It looks delicious!
    Poor japanese people! I travelled to tokyo last year and can not believe what’s happening there right now…

  • http://genericpersongoestojapanblog.blogspot.com Generic Jen B

    Hello, I’m in Yokohama, it’s raining and I’m not going out just because I don’t have to, but I wouldn’t worry about the radiation where you are, and I say this having grown up in France which was contaminated by Tchernobyl. If everyone starts panicking about this, iodine might be hard to find for people who really need it, i.e.: people who live in Japan or perhaps Korea. Geiger counters are out of stock in France which is just ridiculous.

  • http://alternativehousewife.com Janine @ Alternative Housewife

    I love so much of this post and am going to need to find a beet loaf recipe but I just wanted to say, I cannot believe that you just started bathing with Waits! (God, he really gets cuter by the day, BTW! Which I’m sure you know. But I have a cute kid too and I never tire of hearing it!) I have been bathing with Sebastian since he could sit up and attempt to climb out of his baby bath and it is wonderful! Today I was so fed up with him after he spent a nursing session pinching and scratching me, so we ran a bath, and next thing you know we were splashing and soaking and by the time we were out we had re-focused, relaxed and bonded like magic!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Kate in SB – Thanks lady. Miss you!

    @ Cedar – Yes, everyone wins indeed. =)

    @ kory – I think any mother can relate. Also, yay yogurt and nettles, makes me so happy to hear that!

    @ Sonja – You know, I just threw in a bunch of stuff without measuring. I’m sorry! I know it was: about a cup of tahini, about a tablespoon of miso, a big splash of tamari (soy sauce), a splash of apple cider vinegar, a few garlic cloves, a big scoop of nutritional yeast . . . I think that’s it, then just water to thin it out. I know that’s not really a recipe but it’s very forgiving, you can play around with it. I’ll start keeping track in the future I promise!

    @ Generic Jen B – I hear you about the panic and I know iodine is already getting very hard to find. I don’t know what to say, but you’re in my heart and thoughts!

    @ Janine – I know what took me so long! I was resistant I think, because it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. SO WRONG. I don’t know what I was thinking.

    And oh, the pinching and the scratching while nursing. I’m glad I’m not the only one . . .

  • RawJoy

    Sounds like little Waits has Incredible Hulk syndrome. My son (now 35) was the happiest, sweetest most even-tempered baby that ever lived. UNLESS he was teething. Then he morphed into this little alien who ran around like he had drank fifteen expressos and went from one destructive (uh, exploratory) path to another. Hang in there. He’ll grow out of it. :)

  • Happy Green Mama

    Love your post. I am curious, how you get Waits to eat molasses?
    I’ve been concerned about our planet long before the catastrophe in Japan and it makes me real sad to think about what we will leave for the next generations…
    Dealing with biting, pinching, scratching baby is one thing. Dealing with the 2,5 years old toddler, who refuses to wean, that’s the whole different thing :-))

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Happy Green Mama – I’ve been giving Waits molasses since he first started solids, so his palate is totally into it. He loves them. Once you get used to it they’re actually sweet, but I know the mineral-y flavor can be tough to get past. Just keep at it! Maybe try small doses in oatmeal or smoothies?

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