@ TeniseRae – Oh yes, the Ashland co op is my absolute favorite co op EVER.

@ Aisha – Hello lady, welcome to the site! Also, I had so much fun eating my way through Berkeley, and I am officially jealous!

@ Sara – YES! So rad you caught that, I think you’re the first one.

@ Meghan – Yup, Waits is still sugar-free. So far we haven’t had much trouble with it, I think mostly because people know that I’m super healthy about food and they know better than to give without asking me first. The most awkward issues I’ve had are with other [vegan] mommas who offer some of what their kid is eating, and I can’t use the old “oh not vegan” excuse. It’s difficult to navigate because you don’t want to give the feeling of “what you feed your kid is not good enough for my kid” or something. You know, people feel really judged around food. Anyways, a nice big smile and a simple “no thanks, we’re good” has been pretty effective. Waits can’t have wheat so that’s helped with turning down sugary neon colored cereal snacks. Man. I don’t know though, it’s going to get tougher. I think the best you can do is just “own” that you’re a health freak, play it up, maybe be a little self deprecating and tease yourself about it, but own it and be clear, and SMILE.

As an aside though, NO one should EVER give young children ANY food without asking their parents first, period. Allergies are too rampant these days. Waits is allergic to avocado of all things, you know? Who could guess that? So most people are pretty good these days, about asking the parents first. And those that aren’t . . . well, they need a [polite] lesson. Seriously, it’s a matter of safety. Not cool.

So that helps too. =)

@ TeniseRae – Oh yes, the Ashland co op is my absolute favorite co op EVER.

@ Aisha – Hello lady, welcome to the site! Also, I had so much fun eating my way through Berkeley, and I am officially jealous!

@ Sara – YES! So rad you caught that, I think you’re the first one.

@ Meghan – Yup, Waits is still sugar-free. So far we haven’t had much trouble with it, I think mostly because people know that I’m super healthy about food and they know better than to give without asking me first. The most awkward issues I’ve had are with other [vegan] mommas who offer some of what their kid is eating, and I can’t use the old “oh not vegan” excuse. It’s difficult to navigate because you don’t want to give the feeling of “what you feed your kid is not good enough for my kid” or something. You know, people feel really judged around food. Anyways, a nice big smile and a simple “no thanks, we’re good” has been pretty effective. Waits can’t have wheat so that’s helped with turning down sugary neon colored cereal snacks. Man. I don’t know though, it’s going to get tougher. I think the best you can do is just “own” that you’re a health freak, play it up, maybe be a little self deprecating and tease yourself about it, but own it and be clear, and SMILE.

As an aside though, NO one should EVER give young children ANY food without asking their parents first, period. Allergies are too rampant these days. Waits is allergic to avocado of all things, you know? Who could guess that? So most people are pretty good these days, about asking the parents first. And those that aren’t . . . well, they need a [polite] lesson. Seriously, it’s a matter of safety. Not cool.

So that helps too. =)

Sohidul
sohidul59@hotmail.com

Sohidul
sohidul59@hotmail.com

1. Ditto on the VACATION. Experiencing the Minnesota northwoods with family and friends. Pontoon rides on the lake, bonfires at night, hiking through trails in the woods, picking fresh raspberries, listening to the loons on the lake, playing gin rummy with my grandparents, and bonding with my brothers. Loving every second :)

2. Cooking in my father’s kitchen! Enjoying lots of yummy vegan dishes and desserts with my family (it’s hard to impress midwesterners with vegan meals but somehow I’ve managed!) ;)

3. Fresh produce. The smell of ripened tomatoes, and cucumbers fresh out of the garden. So lovely.

Enjoy your vacay Sayward :) Your lil one will surely have a ball!

1. I’m loving homemade tea bags this week. I got the idea from your blog and modified it according to how I needed it to work but I’m enjoying every minute.
2. I’m loving the idea of veganism. I don’t think I’m ready for anything quite that all encompasing but raw food and a healthy conscious towards food shopping/growing is getting my fiance so excited.
3. I’m loving my diy mindset. I think its not just a hobby but a character trait and I’m ready to dive in!!!

My List:

1. CSA’a- I just recently (last week) joined a CSA here in Atlanta. Every week is a surprise! This week I got okra, sweet potato greens, tons of basil, eggplants, and fresh flowers! And they are really helping disadvantaged people by allowing them to use EBT cards for purchase! That’s what I really love. So many people think food stamp recipients cant make good food choices. They have to have access, right?

2. My Dad- My dad, uncles, and cousin went skydiving yesterday! My dad is so adventurous! I want to do it now, so he’s paying for me to do it on my birthday! :)

3. Family- A lot of my family came to support my dad, uncles, and cousin as they dove! Its always good to be around my family, even if they work my nerves.

4. Acknowledgment (I’ll explain)- My son lives with his dad now (his choice) and I always wonder if the values I taught him still ring true, i.e. respect, pride, etc. He is such a great kid. My gf was sitting in the car as I drove up to the ex’s house, dropping off the girl child for the weekend, and my son went out to the car to talk to her. It was so sweet. Not that they dont know each other, they really do, but that was so unexpected, and I didnt know he had done it until I got back in the car and she told me. She said I raised a good son. I beamed!

5. Opportunity- I interviewed for a job Friday, and just sent a small portfolio… Wish me luck!

Best to all,

Tishana

1. We just finished painting our kitchen cabinets shabby chic green and blue. yes for gettin’ our artsy skills on!
2. Made a rad almond-cheesy veg gratin.
3. Above pretty much sums up our weekend.. I love that, too.

You’ve definitely got to check out Scream Sorbet in my Oakland neighborhood (Temescal) — the pistachio and the beet-lemon are especially amazing.

I have a question rather than a love list (I love things. Maybe I’ll post a list tomorrow!) Is Waits still eatin’ no sugar except what happens to occur in fruit and stuff? Do you have problems with family or friends on this? Being sugar-free at least for the first few years of life sounds quite sensible to me (kids that think fruit are tasty sweet things will probably make better choices than ones who are used to getting their sweet fix from cookies, I reckon!) but I can imagine this being a little… I dunno, tough to manage when people outside of my nuclear family get involved. Back in the day you had tactful ways of dealing with baby gifts, so I thought you might have a tactful way to deal with people who want to give your kid a cookie. :-P