I don’t know if February is officially chocolate month, but it is my birthday month… and I love chocolate.  So, in this house it is kind of official.  Others of you may celebrate a holiday known as Valentine’s Day.  Ever heard of it?  Well, it is a day that love is celebrated and many people choose on this day to express their love through chocolate.  I have actually heard that more chocolate is bought in the month of February than all the other 11 months of the year combined. I don’t know if it is true or not, but I have heard that.

Anyway, with all this talk of February and chocolate I thought that some of you may want to join us in only buying Fair Trade (and organic, if possible) chocolate this month.  Yes, I know that it is more expensive, but it is also a treat.  You may not eat as much of it, but that is really okay.  You may not even eat any chocolate this month because you take this challenge and that is okay too.  We will all be okay.  Sometimes it’s just good to hear that, isn’t it?

I’m not sure when we started it, but it has been a few years now that Kendall and I have only bought fair trade, organic chocolate.  What we buy is about 4 times more expensive than most other brands.  We use it to eat, as is, and to bake with.  We have to think about whether we can afford it before we toss it in our basket.  While this makes it less convenient, it is also better for us and for those who hands have been involved in the creation of the bar of chocolate we are purchasing.  I would dare to say that it is more loving.

I hope some of you will join us this month.  Let me know if you do decide to take me up on this challenge to show your love through chocolate, perhaps a little better.  And, thank you, Theo Chocolate, for making such wonderful Fair Trade, organic chocolate and doing it with such passion.

Please, no matter what you decide, don’t purchase Nestle chocolate.  Do a google search on “Nestle Boycott” and you can read until your hearts content on why.

Christmas Cards

Beeswax ornaments

Finn helping

Lip balm

Peppermint Patties

Finn-dough

Happy Christmas!

Finn and I have been taking A LOT of trips to the library.  There is usually a notice that my on hold books are on the bottom shelf because there are so many.  We walk out with smiles on our faces, our bag full and usually some that wouldn’t fit, balance on my arms.  At the beginning of this month–Snow Month–I went searching for books on snow.  I found a few recommendations from other websites, but what was the most helpful was the library catalogue.  There were quite a few that we read once and returned, but some have quickly become favorites that we will be sad to return when the time comes.

Here’s what we found:

The Nutcracker by E.T.A Hoffman and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak: We went to see the Nutcracker put on by the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company a few weeks ago and we all fell in love, but Finn fell hardest of all.

Winter Waits by Lynn Plourde: This is a really sweet story of Father Time and his son Winter.  It was so tender and uplifting.

Snow Bears by Martin Waddell: This book captures well the way Mama’s and her babies play together!  I really love this one.

Christmas Eve at the Mellops’ by Tomi Ungerer:  A quirky and funny Christmas Eve tale!  A great find by Kendy. (There is a picture of an imprisoned pig smoking, so if that offends your sensibilities I would steer clear of this one.)

The Snow Day by Komako Saki: The illustrations in this book are beautiful.  Originally written in Japanese, this is a story of a Mama and her kiddo on a snowy day.

Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart: I felt like I learned reading this book AND that Finn enjoyed it!  There is a lot of life under the snow!

The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren: The Tomten comes out at night and walks around the snowy farm talking to and caring for the animals.

Snow by Uri Shulevitz: Again, I love the illustrations in this book.  It reminds me of Prague.  A boy and his dog experience snow.

Owl Moon by Jan Yolen: These books of kiddos with their Papas are good for our hearts.  A papa takes his little girl owling for her first time.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin: Tells the story of Wilson Bentley.

My Brother Loved Snowflakes by Mary Bahr: Another story of Wilson Bentley told from the perspective of his brother.

Counting on Snow by Maxwell Newhouse: A well illustrated counting book of Arctic Animals.

The Snow Globe Family by Jane O’Connor: I recommend this book with hesitations.  I think I am the only one that liked this book, but the anticipation of and longing for a snow storm definitely pull me in.

I would love to hear any of your recommendations!  Please share in the comments below.

Then, the next thing I know we are both covered in raspberry colored flour and water.  I mean really covered.  It’s a blur.  I am not sure how it happened.  I think I was going to wash his hands and somewhere in the exchange of activities there was a slip of the hand.

It’s close to his nap time so I put Finn in his highchair to eat while I clean up.  As I am wiping down the counters I hear Finn say, “cleanup!”.  I say, “That’s right.  Mama’s cleaning up.”  I look over at him as I am saying this and see that he is washing himself in his glass of milk.  Taking a napkin, using it as a wash cloth, and rubbing it in his hair and all over his body.  And, I am going to go ahead and admit that I told him that he was doing a good job cleaning himself, laughed, and walked over to my computer to share this with you while he continued to “clean” himself.

When I let things be what they are, a whole new and fun world opens up to me.  May we all find the joy in our messy adventures.

Before that sweet little boy came into my life, I was getting fairly deep into the bread baking world.  I was reading about the bread science of bacteria, gluten, chemical reactions, various kinds of bonds, etc and their relationship to bread. (I happily struggled to wrap my non-scientific inclined mind around what I was learning.) There was a lot of documented experimenting happening in our kitchen and the development of some of my own recipes.  But, after Finn was born this was more than my foggy brain could handle.  It was too complicated.

Lately, I opened SouleMama‘s book The Rhythm of Family.  Before I go on, I want to share that I am very much loving this book right now.  So, it is possible that I may gush over it more in the months to come! Kendall and I read the introduction together.  It is truly delightful and encouraging.  It is broken up by months and upon picking up the book, we dove right into November.  Fairly recently, I begun to get the urge to start baking our own bread again and wouldn’t you know it, right there in November is a simple and very tasty recipe for honey, whole wheat, and oat bread.  Since our find, Finn and I have had quite a few dates to bake bread together.  It really has been fun to re-enter the baking world and getting to do it with Finn!

My husband’s voice comes in, although I cannot make out his words, for his voice is deeper with a softness to it.  His sentences are steady and paced, using just enough words.

They are talking. It makes me smile. It really does. It is so simple, but it makes me happy in a way that not much else can.

All of this I am taking in from another room. As a mama in need of rest, I am spending the day refueling.  And, Kendall is spending the day loving on Finn so that I can do this.  We are (very inefficiently) finding our way in this world. There have been some near-impossible seeming bumps along our road, but I am grateful that after 10 years of being a part of each others life that we are still finding our way together.

Peace and joy.  I’m glad to find myself in the midst of both right now.

Earth Day and Good Friday fell on the same day this year and as I result I saw each in a new light.  The day before I thought about how I wanted to participate in each.  It turns out that the two harmonize well with each other.  As a practice for Good Friday and Earth Day, I didn’t turn the lights on all day, turned off my phone and the computer and spent a lot of time outside with Finn.  When Kendall got home from work he joined us in the practice.  We used a candle at night when it was needed.  It was an incredibly peaceful day that was full of much meaning for us.

An unexpected result of this practice was that I felt present.  My full attention was going toward whatever I was doing. I didn’t know what time it was and so I just listened to myself and to Finn.  It was meaningful and meditative.  Its impact was profound.  I felt the presence of the Spirit of God.  It also made me very aware of how much I turn on the lights or use the computer or my phone unnecessarily–simply out of habit I would find myself heading to use them and then catch myself, remembering that I was fasting.  It did my mind and spirit so much good to have a break from being pulled in so many different directions.  Our energy goes where our mind goes.  Not mentally juggling e-mail, texts, time, and everything that is available to me on my computer meant that my mind stayed with what I was doing.  Thus, what I focused on and put my Self toward was more rewarding and left me with more energy rather than feeling drained.

We have added them to our “Give A Gift” section on One/Change and you can read the details of their situation by going to the website that was set up to distribute information about their legal battle with the FDA.  There is also a Celebrity Chef Fundraising Dinner and Press Conference on the calendar for Jan. 22nd. The event will be hosted by chef Roy Breimann at the beautiful Cedarbrook Lodge in Seattle, WA.  Folks at Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund are helping with event coordination. Watch the website for more information on obtaining tickets — soon! It looks a couple of great speakers will be present.

What I have felt compelled to write about has always blossomed from what I am learning.  This has led me to regularly question whether or not what I want to write about, falls underneath the umbrella of what One/Change is all about.  Which, of course leads to the question: What is One/Change about?  Until today, I have not come up with a satisfying answer.

I stumbled upon the answer when I was preparing for another post.  Kendall and I were discussing what a good introduction would be and we decided on something like, “As you know we have been examining all aspects of our life….” and I realized that this is something that I say, in one form or another, in the majority of my posts.  It took me 5 years to see it, but today it finally hit me, this is really what, at its most basic level, One/Change is for us.  We are constantly examining our lives, learning, changing, and growing.  This space has become a beautiful place for us to share our personal experience of this and, when others are willing to, for them to share theirs.

One of the things I am most grateful for with regard to this blog, is that, as we have written about this part of our lives, you all have graciously received our hearts and words with warmth and encouragement.  Thank you for that.

Okay, okay enough with my cheek and razin’ my beloved.

The recipe was kindly shared with us by the farmer that sold us the baby turnips and it rocks.? We have found that it is also good with radishes (cooked this way it takes a bit of the heat and bitterness out of them) and we have also enjoyed them mixed together.? Can you tell we have cooked this a lot recently?

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 bunch of baby turnips or radishes with their greens
• Salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove minced

Cut the baby turnips or radishes away from their stems.? Cut the ends off and then cut them in half.? Rinse them to remove any residual dirt in a colander and then lay them on a clean dish rag.

Heat a skillet over medium heat (we use a cast iron skillet) with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.? When the pan is hot toss in the baby turnips/radishes and let them brown.

While these are cooking clean up the greens by removing any pieces that look yellow and cutting of any real stem-y bits.? Then cut them up as much as you want (they are going to wilt down when you put them in the pan).? Place the greens in the colander to rinse off any residual dirt.? Then place these on a clean dish rag (I just use the same one) and try to get as much water off of them as possible.

When the baby turnips/radishes are nice and brown toss in the green and salt and pepper to your palates pleasing.

At the very end, when the green are cooked but still a nice bright green toss in the minced garlic and mix it around a bit.? Then take it off the heat.

Voila! You are ready to eat!