Why I Love Whole Grains

January 31, 2019January 31, 2019

Why I Love Whole Grains

I never intended to become a domestic fairy, but it happened anyway. When I first married my husband at 23, I didn’t know how to cook.

Let THAT sink in! Eesh!

The silver lining is that I got to learn! I got to experiment and try new things and develop my own style. I got to follow food and baking blogs and learn on my own. I loved the process. I sifted through food ideologies and discovered Michael Pollen and his In Defense of Food. My personal mantras lend themselves to pursuing the natural ways of the world, and I never realized how unnatural a lot of our food could be!

This is when I stumbled upon whole grains. I’m not talking about buying “whole-wheat” flour and bread, I’m talking about oatmeal and quinoa and barley and farro and millet and bulgur, oh my! Ever heard of those last few? That’s why I love whole grains: I discovered a whole slew of new things and a new way of cooking that I never experienced growing up.

There are a few diet trends lately that exclude whole grains, but before you discredit them completely, know that they come with many health benefits. They reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. They can lower your cholesterol and contain essential phytochemicals and antioxidants. Oh, and they’re yummy.

Adding whole grains to your food plan doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, they are a great addition to standard meals, or can replace boring staples like plain rice and oatmeal. Here are my highlights:

They make great salads, which make excellent leftovers for quick, hearty and transportable snacks.
They’re easy to add produce to (think berries and fruit to porridges and fresh vegetables and greens to salads) and promote the best things to have in your diet.
They’re cheap! Try any health food bulk section and you’ll be surprised what you can come away with for 5 bucks.
They’re fun to discover! When I made my first quinoa taco salad, it blew my mind! I’ve been cooking with whole grains for about 4 years, and I have yet to try amaranth, buckwheat, and sorghum. Can’t wait!
They are easy to cook up and can be added to any meal (think brown rice to enchiladas, couscous to curry, barley or wild rice to soup). Extra credit: cook them with homemade vegetable stock for added flavor and nutrition (see here)!

Here are my favorite recipes so far:

Millet Breakfast Porridge (we make this at least 3 times a week!)

Farro + Kale Salad (currently in my fridge)

Barley + Lentil Soup

Thai Farro Salad

High Protein Bulgur Black Bean Chili

Quinoa Oats

Quinoa Taco Salad

And next on my list to try:

Nourishing Coconut Milk Oatmeal

Cinnamon Buckwheat Groats

Morning Glory Oats

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Lemony Wheat Berries with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Have fun with whatever you try! I started with the Creative Ways with Whole Grains class from Craftsy (see here); it’s a good place to start and it’s free!

And now I spend my days dreaming of our future pantry. It has spice jars for bulk-bought spices, bins for all our baking ingredients (no more flour dust storms!), and … a whole shelf filled with containers of whole grains. Ooooohhh, the dreams of a domestic fairy. 🧚

How does Marabou support women?

We live in culture where “bouncing back” is more valued than proper rest. As admirable as it may be for a sports star to get back on the field, the same rules don’t apply to postpartum recovery. The traditional resting period has been stolen from women through pressure to get back to their job or simply through lack of presence.

Grandmas, sisters and best friends who otherwise would have been there to help a woman transition into motherhood often live too far away to be of any help. Household chores and caring for older children inevitably fall on the mom. But she just delivered a new life! She needs rest.

Marabou Services is a unique gift registry which provides services instead of stuff. Most mom’s get too many onesies, too many baby blankets and not enough helping hands. Break out of a destructive cultural norm and start a Marabou registry today.

Start a Marabou Gift Registry!

With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.

Postpartum doulas for a first time mom

House cleanings for moms of multiples

Childcare for moms with older children!

Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.

More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.

January 24, 2019January 24, 2019

Why Kid Independence is Not a Case Against Co-Sleeping

As I mentioned in our post Taking A Second Look at Co-sleeping (see here), we love bedsharing. I did my research weighing the pros and cons of co-sleeping during my first pregnancy. The more I read, the more the arguments that are used against co-sleeping fell down around me, including the idea that if you don’t sleep your baby by themselves, they’ll never learn to sleep alone or self-soothe and they’ll struggle to be independent in general.

As a zoology major in college, I took an Animal Behavior of Primates course. In this class, they discussed the progression of newborns from infancy to adolescence. Primates start their life literally attached to their mothers. They’re carried all the time and slept with mom. They’re no more than arms-length from their mother, most of the time clutching their mother’s hair with their grippy little fists.

Over time, though, primate mothers let them wander and quit pulling back their little ones. And when they’re old enough, the mothers are literally pushing them away. Intuitively, this feels right. I had a sense, even then as a young woman, there is a similarity between raising a human baby and how primates raise their young. So, why is society saying something else?

I’m not sure who came up with this notion on independent baby sleep or how, but I was sure boggled by it when deciding how I would sleep our baby. How are they determining this? Is it opinion or actually backed by scientific research?

But most of all: What if they’re right?! You hear an idea over and over again, and sure enough, you start to believe it. I was planning to stay home with our baby for the foreseeable future. What if you can become too attached, and suddenly your kid can’t function without you??

Then my husband blew my whole mind wide open when he said (nonchalantly, of course; and now it’s one of the defining moments of my mothering journey): “Well Carrie, independence comes from a feeling of security.”

🤯

Huzzah!

This led me to put my faith in the opposite idea. What if kids practice curiosity and independence naturally when they’re kept as close as they want to be? What if having affection boosts your sense of self-worth? What if having someone respond to you when you cry tells you that you’re valuable? And what if knowing the value you have in your family and home inspires your ability to function in the world?

It sure made sense to me. And now that our oldest is 5 years old, we can affirm that this beautiful idea is true. At least in our experience. I am actually surprised by his independence, because I certainly didn’t teach him how! Let me give you a few examples:

When enrolling him in preschool, I figured I would forgo the bus option and drive him in myself. His younger brother, a 3-year-old, wasn’t allowed to take the bus yet but would need to be driven in 3 times a week anyway. My 5-year-old begged to be allowed to take the bus. So, I put him on the bus route. From day 2 of preschool (day 1 was orientation with parents), he flew on that big yellow bus with no second thought. It’s now his favorite thing.
I lose him at church. He prefers to be with other people. And he finds his buddies at coffee hour.
He takes overnights away from us with his grandparents without struggle. He went tent camping with his grandpa last summer, and spent a weekend up north with my parents. He loved it all!
He sleeps with his younger brother with no issues and no parent. Bedtime is a breeze. We read something to them and they pass out until morning. Somewhere along the way, he learned to self-soothe without training. Of course, he still ends up in bed with us from time to time, but it’s not anything we resist or are frustrated by.

Now, of course other sleeping options are necessary for different families. I’m not saying ALL must co-sleep! I’m just suggesting that to be wary of co-sleeping for fear of developing a leech child has no ground to stand on. It’s simply not true. So, if you feel that safe co-sleeping is for you and it’s the best sleeping arrangement for your family, do it! You may just be pleasantly surprised by how independent your co-sleeper turns out to be.

How does Marabou support women?

Start a Marabou Gift Registry!

With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.

Postpartum doulas for a first time mom

House cleanings for moms of multiples

Childcare for moms with older children!

Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.

More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.

January 19, 2019January 23, 2019

Cheer Here: Take What You Can Get

Somewhere along the way, I stopped expecting *me* time. When you’re a young mother, everyone emphasizes its importance to you. That you need to find time for yourself – everyday! – in order to stay balanced, to be the best mom you can be. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE an uninterrupted hour on a daily basis. I’m an introvert; it’s how I recharge. I was able to get me time when I had one kid who napped. But after #2 came along, me time became elusive! And since I had grown to expect it, I was bitter when I didn’t have it for a week straight. Honestly, not having me time on a regularly basis was somewhat inevitable, but its loss was upsetting.

I prescribe to Attachment Parenting. For me, this means that – at least initially, when they are young – I’m never away from them. Even when they’re napping, they’re napping on me. When they’re sleeping, they’re sleeping with me. Heck, when they’re eating, they’re eating from me! There isn’t a lot of wiggle room to accommodate time to myself; it takes a lot of intention and assistance from another adult to get any.

Now that I have three children, me time is more out of reach than ever. So, instead of grappling for time to myself, I take what I can get and practice gratitude for whatever it is or however much it is. For me, it means ignoring thoughts on the me time I didn’t get that week, and being thankful for what I did get. This way of thinking has made me much happier. If I’m home with our kids and I sit down with the crossword (yes, I do crosswords, and next week I’ll get my AARP card) only to get interrupted with a poopy diaper, I try to think, Awesome! Five minutes of crossword fun! Instead of, Ugh! I just sat down!

It’s the small things: a square of dark chocolate savored (quickly and discreetly) in the kitchen. Coffee that’s lukewarm instead of ice cold. A bright and sunny day to enjoy. Ten minutes to crochet (again, AARP!).

There’s a bit of joy to be found in the little things, and I’ve learned in this tumultuous journey of daily motherhood (harder than any other job I’ve had!), I always get what I need right when I need it. As long as I’m looking. If I choose to be blind to the good things around me, if I’m determined to focus on the negatives, then I will be. I’ll be negative. Understanding that good things are there and that it’s worth just taking what I can get helps me weather this season of life and be full of joy instead of grumps.

How does Marabou support women?

Start a Marabou Gift Registry!

With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.

Postpartum doulas for a first time mom

House cleanings for moms of multiples

Childcare for moms with older children!

Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.

More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.

January 11, 2019January 23, 2019

Why I Focus on Superfoods

I am borderline obsessed with superfoods. My husband hears me exclaim about them at least twice a week. “Oh, grapefruit?! It’s a superfood!” He’s also had to endure more than one occasion of me listing the superfoods that are in the meal he’s currently eating.

For better or worse, right?

Once I discovered superfoods, I was hooked! I am familiar with the paleo diet and Whole 30 and various other theories on eating. I love them all. But I love them from a distance. I love them vicariously through others. I love them in stories that don’t involve me. I love them in someone else’s life. For me, it’s too much. Too complicated. With too many “can’ts.” I just can’t with the can’ts. Plus, I have children and am usually pregnant or nursing which means I need to have a full diet. I don’t know if we understand the human body well enough to say whole categories of foods can be safely removed from our diet all at once.

It all started when I picked up a cookbook highlighting superfoods and knew instantly that it was for me. What is a superfood? It’s whole food that has the most nutrition per caloric value. It has the most bang for its buck. These are the foods that are chocked full of nutritional value and variety. And they are what I plan our family’s diet and meals around.

Here are the reasons I love thinking this way:

It’s safe and applicable to everyone.

Focusing on whole foods has nothing risky or quirky about it. It doesn’t omit anything that we should be eating. It’s good for my kids and their growing bodies. It works for me when I’m pregnant, when I’m nursing, and when I’m just breathing.

It’s simple!

There are no riddles here. We just eat a lot of these foods and since there are so many of them on my list (which I share below), we get plenty of variety. Plus, by filling our diet with good food, the stuff that I shouldn’t be eating naturally gets pushed out. I don’t have to count calories or nutrients or try to fixate on anything in particular. Eating treats isn’t a negative. I just don’t eat as many treats now cause I’m too full with the good stuff.

It’s vibrant.

I automatically shut down when told I can’t eat something. Womp womp. I’m like a child rebelling against restrictions. But with superfoods, instead of taking things away, I get excited about trying different dishes with leeks and quinoa and get to figure out how to add scallops to the occasional meal. It’s like a puzzle to me. It’s motivating, colorful and fun!

Here’s the list of superfoods I use. Unfortunately, the good old cookbook I mentioned is buried in storage and I can’t seem to find it online to reference for you. Luckily, these foods are as old as time and this list is in no way set-in-stone or exhaustive. What is the best dish you’ve made using ingredients from below?

Apples
Avocados
Oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwifruit
Blueberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Broccoli
Carrots
Red bell pepper
Brussel sprouts
Tomatoes
Spinach
Garlic
Kale
Celery
Peas
Beets
Leeks
Pumpkin
Turkey
Chicken
Grass-fed beef
Salmon
Tuna
Trout
Scallops
Oysters
Kefir
Greek yogurt
Eggs
Brown rice
Kidney beans
Lentils
Pot barley
Oats
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Miso
Honey
Cinnamon
Green tea
Red wine
Dark chocolate
Walnuts
Brazil nuts
Coconut oil
Olive oil

How does Marabou support women?

Start a Marabou Gift Registry!

With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.

Postpartum doulas for a first time mom

House cleanings for moms of multiples

Childcare for moms with older children!

Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.

More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.

January 8, 2019January 23, 2019

Baby Shower Activity: Pray Your Friend into Motherhood!

Church groups and bible studies can be so good at supporting a mother as she works her way through pregnancy and into motherhood. This can be in the form of a baby shower or mother’s blessing, bringing meals after birth, or simply praying for her. Women together in a small group also know how to address and nurture the spirit. This can be such a blessing to a mom as she makes this major transition that can leave her otherwise out of sorts, confused and overwhelmed. When friends you know deeply check on you, this can be so meaningful.

It’s also encouraging when you know you’re in your friends’ prayers. Try this activity during your baby shower or mother’s blessing thrown with church or bible study friends, and you can be “together in your prayers” as she braves new motherhood:

Print the prayer card (see here) on cardstock and cut the sheets in half.
Have your shower or mother’s blessing guests write out a prayer for baby and mom on two cards – the same prayer on both.
She’ll keep one and give the other to mom-to-be.
When the birth is announced, she’ll pray her prayer (and as much as she wants to otherwise). Mom can read through all the prayers that her friends are lifting up for her after she delivers.

She’ll know that – in a way – she’s surrounded by a group of women that love her and her child they have yet to meet. This beautiful activity allows mom to have her peace and space after giving birth while knowing she has the support of those closest to her. Happy praying!

How does Marabou support women?

Start a Marabou Gift Registry!

With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.

Postpartum doulas for a first time mom

House cleanings for moms of multiples

Childcare for moms with older children!

Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.

More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.