tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69419473371863570922024-03-17T20:03:20.341-07:00Our Daily LegacyEvery decision we make has an impact on our bodies and our spirits, our homes, the earth, and the people around us.
Here are some ideas to help us all leave the best legacy we can.Andrew and Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14085200350294688329noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-15348042750925856582015-08-12T23:25:00.001-07:002015-08-12T23:25:44.286-07:00ZephyrOne of my bunnies died today.<br />
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I've never really had a pet before (unless you count sourdough starters or worms). I'm a practical person, the kind who has to have a use for most everything—not the kind of person you would expect to have bunnies (unless for breeding), and honestly, the only reason I really wanted some was for their manure. So last Easter I finally decided to take the plunge, little as I really knew about the gentle creatures. I'm a learner on the go. Plus, my compost needed those droppings!<br />
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I did not expect to attach to the bunnies.<br />
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But it happened almost immediately. I felt a strong stewardship over these bunny brothers, newly weaned from their mama. I wanted to take care of them just right. I gave them good quality food (including greens from my garden) and let them share my Berkey water. I let them out of their cage to play nearly every day. I talked to them and stroked them. I made them a good-sized run in the backyard so they could enjoy the grass and the outdoors. I made strict rules about the allowed interactions my little boys could have with them. I even took them to Utah on a three-week trip and let them run jubilantly around my mom's chicken coop with her hens.<br />
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We all loved them. They felt like part of the family.<br />
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This morning as I was doing some routine yard work, I went to refill their water. The bunnies were in their little cardboard house I made for them, but Zephyr wasn't moving, and I knew instantly why. His brother was snuggled up next to him, like always. I was stunned. I cried and cried. For the longest time, I sat there under the avocado tree, not knowing what to do next. I finally decided to pull out the dead tree and bushes in their fenced run, and bury him there with a new tree planted above. So I spent hours digging. Which helped me feel a little better.<br />
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The worst is, I don't know why it happened.<br />
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My first impulse was the heat, but the last couple days were only in the low to mid 80s, and the bunnies had water and shade. Then I wondered if it was a poisonous plant they'd been nibbling on in the yard. Today I found a huge long list of plants that can be poisonous to bunnies, and one of the plants in their run had just grown some tiny berries he may have tried. Maybe that. And when I pulled up the plants around the dead tree, I disrupted a cozy nest of black widow spiders. So then I thought maybe he got a fatal bite, since he liked to play in that area. But that's least likely of all. Widows are not aggressive. Maybe it's something else still. Maybe I should have waited to get rabbits until I knew more about them. As things are, I must figure out what next, especially for the truly forlorn brother rabbit left behind.<br />
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As I cuddled my youngest boy in my arms tonight before bed, I couldn't help but think how fragile and precious life is (and the tears threatened to come again). These little children, whom I love infinitely more than the bunnies, mean more to me tonight because of our loss earlier today. How important it is to be vigilant for the well-being of those we love. But how much more important it is <i>just to love!</i> Reminders like losing Zephyr, though dreadful and heartbreaking, serve to keep things in perspective.<br />
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Tonight I am grateful for life.<br />
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Zephyr, 3 1/2 weeks old</div>
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One week ago</div>
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<i>Today I know, for the first time in my life, what it's like to mourn for a cherished animal. I never understood it before. Have you ever lost a pet? Tell me about your experience.</i></div>
Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-66019287435412383972015-08-06T20:20:00.000-07:002015-08-07T05:54:05.052-07:00Rachel Reed<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Have you ever heard of Rachel Reed? She is so many things, such as midwife, university lecturer, Doctor of Philosophy, and the writer of the beautiful blog <a href="http://midwifethinking.com/">Midwife Thinking</a>. She carries with her knowledge for women who want good birth experiences, and for those who have had bad ones, she can help bring healing. She is compassionate. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I would here like to introduce you to her writings, because she has been such a solid voice for me in my travelings in and out of the world of labor and delivery. She is honest and forthright, and she is kind. She cares very much for mothers. I wish we were neighbors to be honest.</span><br />
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I hope you can glean as much from her as I have. If you already know of her, which of her blog posts have you loved best? It is difficult to say, but I think <a href="http://midwifethinking.com/2013/03/27/feel-the-fear-and-birth-anyway/">these</a> <a href="http://midwifethinking.com/2014/01/15/the-human-microbiome-considerations-for-pregnancy-birth-and-early-mothering/">two</a> might be my favorite. (Each word there has a different link.)</div>
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Have a lovely night!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">P.s. If you click on her 'about' tab, you will find her resume. It is beyond impressive!</span></div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-63891078153306305932015-07-20T14:22:00.002-07:002015-08-20T18:32:15.604-07:00Utah Natural Meat -- Shop Here if You are Able<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Utah Natural Meat</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">7400 S. 5600 W. West Jordan, UT</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I wanted to make a quick shout out to a local haunt my family adores. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.utahnaturalmeat.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Utah Natural Meat</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> is the farm where we purchase our meat. Shayn and and Kristen Bowler are third generation owners and operators of this little family business. And when I say little, well, I mean tiny as businesses go these days. They hire temporary help here and there, but they employ only one regular staff member. This is a true family business, and has been in the family since the 1940's.</span></span><br />
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Some of the things I love about about this little family and farm:</div>
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<li>They are so obviously hard working. They go out of their way to make sure their customers are happy. And at times when I've been pregnant, they have always gone out of their way to make my visit as easy as possible.</li>
<li>They are honest. I was chatting one day with their worker as she checked out the packages I was buying. The conversations went something like me saying, "I really love this store. The family has always seemed so great!" To which their worker said something like, "Oh, I love working for the Bowlers. They are beyond scrupulous. It is just so nice working for people who are so concerned with being honest about the way they operate." Conversations like this say a lot to me about a business owner. I'm sold.</li>
<li>They sell a variety of meats, and have very reasonable prices. You will find beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, and turkey. They sell the muscle meats, which are awesome, but they also sell organ meats (liver, kidneys, and heart), fat from pigs and beef for rendering into lard and tallow, and bones.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYhtcnunguGWNpxwffKtv3Kkj8e9KZ-MNj0lqyBUwx_ujUVtztLr_kcDToiuId0cGHYNkPMMAgogjitvTFrUGYrB68AJp84I-fWOYKMMRu3UEoGRUb1ae3T_oeCumfU4507Lk3C-E45Y/s1600/website+unm+2010+446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYhtcnunguGWNpxwffKtv3Kkj8e9KZ-MNj0lqyBUwx_ujUVtztLr_kcDToiuId0cGHYNkPMMAgogjitvTFrUGYrB68AJp84I-fWOYKMMRu3UEoGRUb1ae3T_oeCumfU4507Lk3C-E45Y/s320/website+unm+2010+446.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<li>They sell eggs pastured eggs! Walking up the the store you will often see a variety of chickens meandering around.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54LorM81_jeqB43uAVRSqea3dvGNnXaoaIyFxXDwMD5ohQ3XiIKp_id1qtNizWvGoU28jDhc4uMGi5jQHCpAnhnYeAc2tl3RnrbWs1kBKCQHjGQGx-87p5i2oOewQNgBamyVCQ-AnYPA/s1600/website+unm+2010+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54LorM81_jeqB43uAVRSqea3dvGNnXaoaIyFxXDwMD5ohQ3XiIKp_id1qtNizWvGoU28jDhc4uMGi5jQHCpAnhnYeAc2tl3RnrbWs1kBKCQHjGQGx-87p5i2oOewQNgBamyVCQ-AnYPA/s320/website+unm+2010+016.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Speaking of that, all of their animals are pastured. As you drive up to the store you will see fields with pigs running around, mother cows with their calves, a tiny little donkey named Pepper, two draft horses, King and Duke. (We recently went to a family day at the farm and got a wagon ride with these beautiful horses. Amazing animals.) They often times will have turkeys wandering around too. And our favorite, the farm dog, Maggie. She is just the sweetest fuzzy girl.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shayn with Duke and King</td></tr>
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<li>Another great thing about family operations like this is they are a family. They have children the same age as mine, and so all of these animals are accustomed to children and their antics. I love going there and seeing toy tractors all over the place, and knowing that I can let my kids wander while I grab what I need. Maggie thrives on the attention the kids pour on her.</li>
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<li>They specialize in a heritage breed of cattle called corriente. If you click on the link to their website, you can read there all the great things about the corriente breed. I can testify, it is excellent quality beef, and again, the price cannot be beat.</li>
<li>Along with their animal ventures, they also grow vegetables to sell in the summer and fall months, and they have local bee keepers, and artisan soap and cheese makers who sell their wares in the farm store as well.</li>
<li>Oh, and they grow all their own feeds for their animals. Yes. I know, can real people be this fabulous? Non-GM alfalfa, and during the winter they have a green fodder system so the animals get greens year round. Bless them.*</li>
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So there you have it. I am an advocate for buying locally, and wanted to get the word out there about this fantastic family and their little store. We can't raise all of our own meats yet. In the mean time (whatever that means) we feel good about our purchases here, knowing the animals raised here have good lives in sunny fields free to roam, with good real foods to eat. </div>
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Thank you, Kristen and Shayn!<br />
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*Utah Natural Meat is not organic certified, however, they do use non-GM, corn/soy free feeds for all of their animals. You can read about their choice to remain uncertified <a href="http://www.utahnaturalmeat.com/farm_life/2011/2/17/whats-in-a-name.html">here</a>.<br />
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Note: It appears I forgot to mention Utah Natural Meat's store hours. They are open Thursdays 2:00pm-5:30pm, and Saturdays 9:00am-12:00pm.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-76275974726712852392015-07-09T20:52:00.000-07:002015-08-17T20:37:37.521-07:00Talk to Me: PPD and D-MER<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I mentioned in a previous post that I had experienced post part depression after my third son was born. I wanted to write a post about how I realized I was suffering from postpartum depression (PPD) and dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER), and what I was able to do to climb out of the brackish pit.</span><br />
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I was sitting on my couch not long after baby 3 was born, he was snuggled in for a nurse. All of a sudden this wave of despair washed over me. Not just the "Oh, I'm sad right now." kind, but the "Why bother even trying to go on? Life is worse then it has ever been." And also thoughts like, "I seriously hate my husband. I cannot even understand why I married him." This would last for about 10 seconds, and then it would pass. After about two weeks of this, I noticed these deep troughs of feeling correlated with nursings, more specifically when my milk let down. I dreaded it. Not long after that I realized I had read about this phenomenon while randomly browsing for birth stories on the internet. I was suffering from <a href="http://www.d-mer.org/">moderate dysphoric milk ejection reflex</a>, or D-MER. (They hyphenate it because the acronym "DMER" had already been taken...)</div>
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D-MER is not the same as PPD, although mothers can have both. Also, it is not psychological in nature. I'll repeat that: D-MER is not psychological in nature. It is an anomaly based on the chemistry of milk let down. The best science of our day says that when prolactin goes up (it does more than just make you make milk, but for our purposes think of it is the lactation hormone) dopamine levels plummet for just a few seconds. In mothers who are experiencing D-MER, for some reason they feel that dopamine plummet as a wave of depressive feelings ranging from mild sadness, to more severe suicidal thoughts. Often the anomaly just sort of fizzles out as the mother and baby continue on their nursing journey. For some mothers they need to cease nursing their baby, because the wild hormone fluctuations are too damaging. (Yet another reason to stave off judgment for the mothers who do not nurse their babies.)</div>
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My remedies: </div>
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<li>I personally felt greatly relieved from merely remembering what I had read. It's always nice to know you're not going crazy. This epiphany didn't make the sinking despair go away, though, it simply buoyed me up for the times I would experience it. </li>
<li>I am not a doctor, but I will tell you that I was able to find some information during that time that linked poor dopamine responses to magnesium deficiencies. I am a big proponent of getting the things we need from our foods, but I am not above taking a well chosen supplement. They can be life saving at times. I started supplementing with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Magnesium-Original-Ounce/dp/B00HTIZF7Y/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1436499380&sr=1-5&keywords=natural+calm">magnesium</a> and it helped. Magnesium is a tricky mineral to supplement, because it can cause loose stools, and yet it needs to be in the intestines long enough to be absorbed... Good news is, even though supplementing is tricky, it did help some. It did not completely fix the problem, but I did find marked improvement. And luckily for me, the problem resolved with time. My main man and I have nursed longer than any of my other babes. I'm so grateful to be able to do it.</li>
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That isn't where things ended, though. Shortly after realizing all that craziness, I found myself standing in my kitchen one day just staring out my back window worried. I was worried about just about anything that my mind could grab hold of, but usually wild imaginings of what people thought of things I had said, or the way I had done this or that. I was anxious, restless, and just sad. It hit me that day as I was staring out the window, I hadn't always felt like that. I hadn't always felt so perpetually sad, and tired all the time. I am an active woman, and I while I wanted to be active still, I just felt tired. I spent some time searching in my mind that day, wondering when I all of a sudden felt so sure anything that was bad that could possibly happen would... and it hit me like a lightning bolt, this was postpartum depression. I hadn't felt this way a few long weeks ago while I was pregnant; it had been a good pregnancy, though it was a surprise.</div>
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My remedies: </div>
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<li>I remembered that day that I had read <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/holistic-healthcare/remedies-for-panic-attacks-and-high-anxiety/">an article</a> written by a homeopath on different remedies for anxiety and depression. (I know, am I not the biggest nerd the world has ever seen? I just read all these seemingly random articles, but they come in so handy. Maybe it's God...) I found the article, and tried the homeopathic remedy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ignatia-Amara-30C-Boiron-Pellet/dp/B00014EGSM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1436499322&sr=1-1&keywords=boiron+ignatia+amara">Ignatia Amara</a> (I used 30C). I felt miraculous improvement with this remedy, within minutes of taking it. Our house is never without it now. I have since moved on to my constitutional remedy, Sepia.</li>
<li>During this same time, I also remembered the billion times I had been told PPD is strongly correlated to low vitamin B-12 levels, so I went in search of a good supplement for that. I took methylcobalamin (B-12), but didn't see any results. I was so disappointed. But I began to wonder about other B vitamins as well. To make a long story short, there are many different B vitamins all lumped together in what is referred to as a complex. The whole B vitamin complex is interconnected, and work closely together. I found that by supplementing one of the B vitamins, a person can unwittingly drive down level of other members of the B complex, and most, if not all of them have psychological effects because of their physiologic effects on our beautiful bodies and brains. After doing a lot of research I was able to find the most amazing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Max-B-ND-Premier-Research-Labs/dp/B0062MCRZG">food based B complex supplement</a>. Ever.</li>
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I want to stress that these did not completely get rid of all of my symptoms 100% the first time taking them. The homeopathic remedy was awesome for minute to minute help, those times when I could just feel the anxiety creeping in. It is my miracle for that time frame. The B complex helped me feel at least 80% better after a small amount of time. I can't really say how long it was, I just realized one day, I wasn't fretful anymore. The last 20% has come with time as I have continued with the B complex.</div>
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I know there are a lot of people who are totally skeptical of homeopathic remedies. I can't say that I blame them, but I am here to tell you all they do work. I'll write my next post about the actual science (it is there oh ye doubters). Edit: <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2015/08/geniuses-in-defense-of-homeopathy.html">Here</a> is that post now!</div>
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So let's talk about this ladies. Have you experienced PPD, or D-MER? What was your experience like? What did you find that helped you? Or have you not? Are you still suffering? Please talk to us here. We would love to listen. Sometimes a listening, and empathetic ear can do wonders.<br />
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If you are wondering, but not sure that you have depression, <a href="http://twothirdscup.com/11-signs-you-may-have-clinical-depression/">here</a> is a wonderful post with a list of possible symptoms.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-71272203742260858402015-06-11T20:56:00.000-07:002015-06-11T21:02:55.227-07:00Rendering Lard<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Rendering lard is the easiest thing I've ever done. Literally. It's one of those things where you spend five minutes doing something, then you leave it for a few years, (not literally), and then come back to do more things to it. In total I think you'll spend ten minutes with this project over the course of a 5-7 hour block of time.</span></span><br />
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These steps will work for rendering any kind of renderable fat: lard, tallow (beef, goat, sheep, and wild game), and any kind of fowl: geese, turkey, chicken, and duck.</div>
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1. Get skin of animal whose fat you want to render.</div>
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2. Get a large pot, one with a lid is best. If you don't have a lid, pretend you're from Idaho and use an inverted plate in its place.</div>
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3. Put the skin in the pot, and put the lid, or plate on.</div>
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4. Turn your burner on medium low.</div>
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5. In 1 - 1 1/2 hour(s) turn the heat to low. (Optional)</div>
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6. Let the skins cook on this low heat for a few hours, stirring every one or two hours. (The smaller the amount of skins you are cooking, the less amount of time you will need to cook them for.) You'll know it's done when the skin becomes brownish and crisp.</div>
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7. Strain.</div>
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8. Sprinkle salt on the skin bits and eat them.</div>
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9. The end.</div>
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Seriously. So easy. Ok, just a few things. You <i>can</i> turn the heat up on this to speed up the process. I choose the lowest heat possible because, even though these are the best fats to cook with at higher temperatures, the lower the heat for extraction the healthier the fat molecules will be after all is said and done. Also, I am lazy and the lower cooking heat allows me to pay the least amount of attention possible. That's my favorite thing.</div>
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One tip: the larger the pieces of skin, the longer it will take to extract the fat. Some farms sell only slabs of skin. I have purchased skins this way, and I used to cut them up into 1/2 inch squares. Totally not necessary. One day I didn't have time to cut the skins into pieces, but I needed the lard so I threw it in anyway... and it still rendered. It just took longer. So totally up to you.</div>
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One more tip: I keep a pint jar of lard next to my stove, and keep the larger quantity of lard in my fridge. It will keep for months and months in cool storage.</div>
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The last tip: There have been a few times where I've started this a few hours before bed, and realized it wasn't going to be done before I nodded off. No worrying here, though. The great thing is, you can turn your stove off, and leave it there over night. I know, I hear you. It totally sounds questionable... Until you remember that in bygone days people use to cook sausage, and then keep it fresh for months by submerging it in containers of fat. The fat keeps microbes from making anything rot! Genius. </div>
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P.S. Someday I'll add pictures to this post... sorry, I'm lame right now.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-34265159320121526172015-06-05T19:18:00.000-07:002015-06-12T15:23:13.628-07:00Sprouted Spelt (or other wheat type grain) Tortillas<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Alright guys, it's a Friday night. I'm making this quick. (I heard you cheering that. Offended...)</span><br />
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I haven't been making tortillas for very long. It is so easy, though, I'm actually really bummed I didn't start making them a long time ago. They are a serious breeze, and as with all things in life, the more you make them, the easier it becomes. We eat these at least three times a week -- sometimes daily.<br />
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<b><u>THE BEST TORTILLAS EVER</u></b></div>
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2 cups (approximately) sprouted wheat/spelt/kamut flour</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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Dash baking soda (optional)</div>
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2/3 cup (approximately) fat, lard/butter/tallow/coconut oil</div>
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Enough water</div>
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Method:</div>
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Mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Cut in fat of choice. I just use my hands and mix the butter/lard/tallow/coconut oil into the flour until I have pea sized bits of fat milling around in there... sort of like making pie crust. Be careful about this part: mix water in little by little until you have a malleable dough. You want it to be firm-ish, like bread dough. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and cover somehow (to keep them from drying out). Let these sit for half an hour before rolling and cooking.</div>
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To cook, heat a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. I prefer my pan to be already hot when I start cooking these babies. Roll these flat with your rolling pin, and cook them as you go. Cook for a few seconds on one side, flip the tortilla and repeat. Remove from pan. Eat with beans and rice, meat and beans, liver, fish, lettuce and cheese, butter, sour cream, cream cheese, or love.</div>
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Cook tips:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Greasing pan well between each tortilla makes for a more foldable tortilla in the end.</li>
<li>Once you get a feel for the dough, you can actually skip the half hour sitting time before rolling. I prefer to let my dough sit, but it is possible to make it work skipping that step.</li>
<li>After you cook these (if you aren't eating the that very second), cover the plate with another plate, inverted. This will keep the tortillas from drying out, and inadvertently becoming tostadas.</li>
<li>These keep in the fridge for excellent left overs.</li>
<li>The dough can also be saved in the fridge for a few days.</li>
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Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-9237359694473813422015-06-01T19:15:00.000-07:002015-06-03T20:40:28.742-07:00Cheesy Sausage Cabbage Bake<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">My husband dubbed this a variation on Musaka. It isn't really that much like Musaka in reality, but the fact that he called it that means he likes it. I'll take the compliment.</span><br />
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;">Cheesy Sausage Cabbage Bake</b><b> </b></div>
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Ingredients for sausage:</div>
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2 lbs ground pork/lamb/beef (I use pork)</div>
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dash ground chipotle (optional) </div>
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1/2 tsp ground black pepper</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp ground fennel (the seed, not the bulbous vegetable)</div>
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1/2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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1/2 tsp onion powder</div>
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1 head cabbage, any color will do</div>
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Butter</div>
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Salt</div>
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1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheese</div>
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Method:</div>
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Pre-heat oven to 300. Cut the cabbage in 3/4 inch slices, lightly butter and place butter side up on a cookie dish. Cabbage rounds should be touching. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Place pan in oven.</div>
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While the cabbage begins cooking, mix your choice of meat with all of the spices. Partially brown over medium heat. Take partially cooked cabbage out of the oven, and raise the temperature of the oven to 350. Dish meat evenly over each of the cabbage slices, and then pour the cooking juices from the meat evenly over all of that. Top with the cheese, and return to the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.</div>
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We eat this topped with sour cream. I meant to serve this over a bed of arugula this last time, but forgot. Someone try that, and tell me how it goes. </div>
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Tastes great reheated.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-19276456641480003142015-05-19T19:44:00.005-07:002015-06-06T17:13:06.627-07:00Bean and Eggplant Burritos<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I discovered a new recipe last week. I made some refried beans, but then got side tracked with kiddies for a while. When I got back, they were dry and crumbling. I had had a roasted eggplant in my fridge, which I was going to use to make Baba Ganouj, but never got around to... so I blended it into the dried refried beans! Viola! I got my family to eat eggplant, which they think they hate. I feel like a good mom today.</span><br />
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<b><u>Bean and Eggplant Burritos</u></b> (makes about 14)</div>
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2 cups beans of choice (I used a combo of pinto and red beans)</div>
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1 medium eggplant </div>
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2-3 cup cheese finely grated, divided</div>
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1/4 cup lard/butter/olive oil (I used lard)</div>
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salt</div>
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pepper</div>
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chili seasoning (optional)</div>
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cumin (optional)</div>
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14-18 smallish tortillas (<a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2015/06/sprouted-spelt-or-other-wheat-type.html">Delicious tortilla recipe</a>)</div>
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Method:</div>
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<b>Beans</b></div>
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Soak beans for at least 8 hours in warm filtered water, to which you have added apple cider vinegar. (You can actually lengthen the soaking time, to aid in digestion. I usually soak my beans for two full days, making sure to change the water daily.) Strain and rinse before cooking. Cook in a pot of salted water until very tender. When the beans first come to a boil, turn down the heat, and skim the foam that rises to the top.</div>
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Strain well. Add fat of choice to the pan you cooked the beans in, and return the heat to medium. Add the beans, and using a potato masher, pulverize the little buggers. Let cool.</div>
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<b>Eggplant</b></div>
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While the beans are simmering, preheat your over to 350. Wash, and then prick your eggplant with a fork. Once the oven is heated, pop that baby in there straight on the rack. Let it cook until the skin is browned. Pull it out and cool it.</div>
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<b>All together now</b></div>
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When the beans and the eggplant are both cool, blend them in batches. Begin with the eggplant by cutting the top off, and then down one side. You should be able to easily peel open the skin. Put all the flesh into your blender, and start adding the beans. You want to have a relatively thick consistency -- think cookie dough, only this won't be as sticky. You should be using most of the beans for this. Empty the contents of the blender into a large mixing bowl as you go. Once you have the right consistency, little by little, add one cup of the finely grated cheese to the bowl of beany-eggplant. Mix as you add so that you don't end up with clumps of cheese.</div>
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Spoon a much of the filling as you can safely fit onto a tortilla, while still being able to roll it up. Place seam side down into a baking dish. Top with grated cheese, bake at 350 for 45 minutes.</div>
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Notes:</div>
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I made two pans of these: one plain, and one with homemade red enchilada sauce. The sauce was amazing, but was a little too spicy for the babes. </div>
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Red Sauce:</div>
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2 cups homemade broth</div>
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2 tblsp fat of choice (I used lard)</div>
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1/2 tsp Chipotle pepper (I got crushed and ground it in my coffee grinder/herb grinder)</div>
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1 small can/bottle tomato paste</div>
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1 tsp cumin</div>
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dash onion powder</div>
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dash garlic powder</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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Heat Lard on medium, add chipotle pepper and let it get aromatic. Add broth, tomato paste, and everything else. Let boil for about five minutes. Thicken with a slurry of milk, or water, mixed with a little flour. (Try 1/4 cup milk/water, with 2-3 tbls flour.) Add this to the boiling sauce, and stir. Pour over the burritos, before you add the cheese. Bake as per instructions above.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-44992044246387689162015-05-13T19:47:00.000-07:002015-05-13T20:04:35.479-07:00Utah and CandyDid any of you see the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-12/with-booze-and-coffee-taboo-utah-leads-nation-in-eating-candy">headline</a> today about Utah and candy consumption? Or as one news source put it, "Utah Leads Nation in Candy Use". I thought that was a great way to word this. I don't know what bothered me more, the fact that this is true, or the quotes from the good professor. Essentially we, (Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS, what ever we call ourselves), are trading one vice for another. I am not exempt, but I do severely limit how often I imbibe.<br />
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What are your thoughts on this?Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-18989940157751789932015-05-07T10:58:00.000-07:002015-05-07T10:58:45.336-07:00A New Perspective on GMO's<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/pamela_ronald_the_case_for_engineering_our_food.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
So, any thoughts?Andrew and Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14085200350294688329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-54162386948786031132015-05-05T20:40:00.000-07:002015-06-11T20:58:58.483-07:00On Cholesterol <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This will be my second venture back into the blogging world after a brief </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">sabbatical. During the time I was gone I changed a lot of diapers, had another baby, and started a Master's program in Health and Nutrition Education. I thought I'd drop the schooling bit in now, because what I'm about to introduce to you may seem radical...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I had a friend ask me the other day which cholesterol was the good, and which was the bad. I was totally embarrassed to admit that I couldn't remember, and honestly, that I had never known. As I thought about that the rest of the day, I finally realized the reason my mind had never retained that information is because I don't believe there is good and bad cholesterol. I really love cholesterol, and so I thought I'd share my mental ramblings on this sadly misunderstood nutrient.</span><br />
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<b>What is Cholesterol?</b></div>
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Cholesterol fits tidily into the fats and lipids category, and should be revered for its many functions in the human body. Both HDL (high density lipoprotein), and LDL (low density lipoprotein) perform vital functions in the human body, and deficiencies in either are catastrophic in nature. Cholesterol, in times past, was blamed for clogging arteries. I find it poor logic, though, to look at a wound, and blame what we find there for the presence of the wound. We don't blame blood for scratches and cuts. We don't blame bandaids for them either. What is it that causes cholesterol to get stuck in a person's arteries? There are several mechanisms in place, but the primary problems that cause blockages in arteries are in fact poor blood sugar metabolism, which cause inflammation i.e. over consumption of carbohydrates (this can include fruit for particularly sick people) and resultant damages on a cellular level. Google this, "cholesterol patches damaged arteries" -- it's not really a secret.</div>
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Further, check out <a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/cholesterol/how-the-body-uses-cholesterol.htm">all cholesterol does for you</a> (other than <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/cholesterol-friend-or-foe/">patch damaged arteries</a>):</div>
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<li>All cell membranes in the human body are made sturdy by a combination of cholesterol and saturated fat. So that pretty much covers everything your body does. Let's end there... Just kidding, there's more.</li>
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<li style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">All human <a href="http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Steroid-Hormones.html">sex hormones</a> are a break down of cholesterol. (That link is a Chris Masterjohn link. If you don't know of him, he's a smarty.) A cholesterol deficiency can lead to a deficiency in these, which would wreak havoc on more or less all of your systems -- <i>because our bodies function as a whole organism</i>. You cannot experience degradation in one system alone. To name just a few of your systems that would struggle due to imbalance in these hormones, though: reproductive system (duh), pulmonary system, cardiovascular system, adrenal system, and... more. </li>
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Many other hormones are also made from cholesterol, such as cortisol, the stress hormone, and aldosterone, which regulates mineral absorption.</span></li>
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<li style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Cholesterol aids in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins K, D, E, and A. Your body can even make vitamin D out of cholesterol. It's kind of this everywhere fix-it guy.</li>
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Your body uses cholesterol to make bile. Bile is a green, viscous liquid made in the liver, which aids in the digestion of fat.</span></li>
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<li>It also aids in the absorption of minerals.</li>
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<li>For all the women reading this, morning sickness has been linked to a cholesterol deficiency, because it is linked to hormonal imbalances, bile production, and mineral absorption. (Magnesium is a big culprit here. Magnesium can also make you smell better when you sweat. That's fodder for a different post, though.)</li>
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<b>Where do you get it? Where can you get it? Where should you get it?</b></div>
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Your body makes cholesterol in your skin in the same sort of fashion as it make vitamin D. Your body can also make cholesterol out of carbohydrates, in a similar fashion it can manufacture saturated fats from carbohydrates. Caution friends, this is far from ideal. In the absence of sun, and dietary cholesterol (or saturated fats, as it were) your body will crave carbs so that it can manufacture these other building blocks. This adds an extra step, and we know that the over consumption of carbohydrates: 1. depletes our bodies of minerals, 2. injures our bodies on both a large and small scale.</div>
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It is also important to note, the cholesterol made by your skin when exposed to the sun is in a different form than dietary cholesterol, (it is sulfated, or attached to a sulfur atom) and serves different functions in the human body than the dietary form. Dietary cholesterol is also important, because your body doesn't make the sort you get from foods. Your body, when exposed to optimal amounts of sun, will make about 98% of your cholesterol! That is amazing, and also scary considering how much time we all spend inside, and all of the things we have heard about sparing our skin sun exposure...</div>
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Just to make this slightly more controversial, cholesterol lowering drugs inhibit the human body from making cholesterol. That's right folks. Even though there is <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/352216.stm">this</a>, and <a href="http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home/eng/brochures/Cholesterol%20Deficiency%20in%20Chronic%20Disorders.pdf">this </a>we are still giving statin drugs to the aging... even though low cholesterol is linked to double the mortality rate than high cholesterol. It is also linked to <a href="http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/depression/cholesterol-and-mood-what%E2%80%99s-link">depression</a>, suicidal thoughts, and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11104842">violent behaviors</a>.</div>
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The best dietary sources for cholesterol are:</div>
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<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Shrimp</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Lobster</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Eggs</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Liver</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Pork</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Beef</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Chicken, with the skin</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Cheese</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Full fat milk</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Cream</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Butter</li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Human milk </span>("The cholesterol in human milk supplies an infant with close to six times the amount most adults consume from their food." -- Mary Enig PhD, and world renowned lipids expert.)</li>
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So basically, google "high cholesterol foods", and eat those. Provided they are real, whole foods. Avoid snack foods like tater chips.</div>
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Interesting articles to read on the subject. Warning: sometimes Masterjohn can be a little dry...</div>
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<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/cholesterol-friend-or-foe/">Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-diseases/beyond-cholesterol/">Dr. Chris Masterjohn</a> (Read this especially if you fear I'm leading you down the path of heart disease.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-diseases/the-benefits-of-high-cholesterol/">Dr. Uffe Ravnskov</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/fat-and-cholesterol-in-human-milk/">Dr. Mary Enig</a> on breastmilk composition.</div>
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<a href="http://corporate.dukemedicine.org/news_and_publications/news_office/news/10021">Duke University on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Cholesterol </a></div>
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Also:</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol">Wikipedia: Cholesterol</a> (I know guys, Wikipedia. It actually does have some good information these days.)</div>
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Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-50866793151249505562015-04-22T23:13:00.000-07:002015-04-22T23:18:47.386-07:00A Clever Idea for a Bountiful Tomato Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy Earth Day!</div>
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I love our world. I love being out in it, even if it's just in my own little garden. When it comes to trying new techniques to make the garden thrive, I am ever an optimist (even in the wake of a <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-gardening-mishaps.html">rocky track record</a>). This year, I'm trying a brilliant idea by a man named James Bryan that should lead to a bumper crop of ravishing tomatoes. Check out his <a href="http://www.hometalk.com/446407/tomatoes-and-their-need-for-water">impressive results</a>. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/provision-farms/bucket-tomato-watering-idea/511643098898668">Here are the directions</a> from his Facebook page, which vary slightly.)</div>
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In a nutshell, the idea is to plant your tomatoes around a container that will provide subterranean water trickling through a pile of compost. Here's how easy:</div>
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I drilled holes in a little six-gallon trash can: one round near the bottom of the can, and another ten inches higher, just above where the dirt level would be after I buried it. (According to <a href="http://www.realfarmacy.com/one-mans-genius-idea-grow-tomatoes/">this report</a>, Bryan started out with a 13-gallon garbage can, but eventually switched to 5-gallon buckets, which are cheaper and easier to find... you just have to fill more often.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDc7Z1hWbMt69eIKOLTCNK-dQxuic1V2YsOZ70RlR23Bz4UZXahv4iFEBEsUxYjRy1-xON8o8ZDqxdJk6IDQaaAqcrDbM_K4j7IganzlsKtxcZahxs8lhgtP10_i7ZBvyPrTeGNqHbjVO/s1600/IMG_20150326_120659933_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDc7Z1hWbMt69eIKOLTCNK-dQxuic1V2YsOZ70RlR23Bz4UZXahv4iFEBEsUxYjRy1-xON8o8ZDqxdJk6IDQaaAqcrDbM_K4j7IganzlsKtxcZahxs8lhgtP10_i7ZBvyPrTeGNqHbjVO/s1600/IMG_20150326_120659933_HDR.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I then buried the container, filled it with a couple big scoops of the best compost I have, and planted four little tomatoes I'd started* around the can. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisC454a4pCwgA4_EVLxK5Ca8Yy1t-Q1sMDoiZ9O7Is9AWaZkzZdig6krSQW_HFHyE8BbDhu72dyAfDyAWRQiAcdIakfRTGD5F3m4Vi6VSkCjfAuSOVQEYS8GWzi4SZhshEhp6bM52b7aC/s1600/IMG_20150326_122148162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisC454a4pCwgA4_EVLxK5Ca8Yy1t-Q1sMDoiZ9O7Is9AWaZkzZdig6krSQW_HFHyE8BbDhu72dyAfDyAWRQiAcdIakfRTGD5F3m4Vi6VSkCjfAuSOVQEYS8GWzi4SZhshEhp6bM52b7aC/s1600/IMG_20150326_122148162.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I filled the bucket with water. Some trickled out of the top holes, but most seemed to push through to the bottom row. The water level went down pretty fast. I love that it must travel through that rich compost before meeting the roots of the plants.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVa-xkMKT4-dHpaGJCc1GawUb2f9ePm001ND_zvUpg9O4XB6ITx3WGl5p4KGXKgMgACJ03HIW2b0v0GWZKtA-AK_Wzbgeo25NdEMHo99hozxs2fia0WOnjb9djYhb_yDIeGaO2bmU8a2N/s1600/IMG_20150326_122134643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVa-xkMKT4-dHpaGJCc1GawUb2f9ePm001ND_zvUpg9O4XB6ITx3WGl5p4KGXKgMgACJ03HIW2b0v0GWZKtA-AK_Wzbgeo25NdEMHo99hozxs2fia0WOnjb9djYhb_yDIeGaO2bmU8a2N/s1600/IMG_20150326_122134643.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSE2ATufQwhS9zGNIvXkGw7kKQvp2hlBXCbepnWvihgWDqAv2330tTksOXEHpQrl3obgfc1F8xM6651dOTqp0S3ZGIITKGLV_LmtqmcjLnktk-4pAWVSHxsYS88vp8pcb9LJ7THtctger/s1600/IMG_20150326_122532681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSE2ATufQwhS9zGNIvXkGw7kKQvp2hlBXCbepnWvihgWDqAv2330tTksOXEHpQrl3obgfc1F8xM6651dOTqp0S3ZGIITKGLV_LmtqmcjLnktk-4pAWVSHxsYS88vp8pcb9LJ7THtctger/s1600/IMG_20150326_122532681.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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In studying the original idea for this post, I discovered two important points I overlooked in my initial reading:</div>
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<li>Whatever size container you use, you want to give each plant about <b>five gallons of water per week</b>. So if you have four plants surrounding a 5-gallon bucket, you should fill the bucket four times per week. </li>
<li>I also saw in the comments of <a href="http://www.hometalk.com/446407/tomatoes-and-their-need-for-water">that first article</a> that you should <b>add fresh compost</b> a couple times a week until fruit starts setting. (The comments are very helpful.)</li>
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I've only been filling the bucket maybe every five days or so (they haven't looked thirsty, even on hot days), and haven't added extra compost. I figured that Byron's burst of growth was mainly from the compost, but apparently, it's at least equally from the quantity of water and the additional nutrients added to the container. I'll make those changes! (For you tomato gurus, he also <i>doesn't prune the suckers!</i> That was a surprise to me. I'll have to experiment with that.)</div>
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Nevertheless, I'm pleased with my little plants. They're starting to flower like crazy. Here is the change that's occurred over three weeks:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXY2Puek5oukRs0nwbzie6V0gYhMOfcZQ8VpE430wczGNFnAjpqryoR3IdhtFUBycwgFHUWtI8KdmKIu9fyjlzEkjt1FLs4iHKB1JfzQlTcDNrYx5qpKz0aqZJr7d8aENm9DLzAfI6IvXA/s1600/IMG_20150326_122119859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXY2Puek5oukRs0nwbzie6V0gYhMOfcZQ8VpE430wczGNFnAjpqryoR3IdhtFUBycwgFHUWtI8KdmKIu9fyjlzEkjt1FLs4iHKB1JfzQlTcDNrYx5qpKz0aqZJr7d8aENm9DLzAfI6IvXA/s1600/IMG_20150326_122119859.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHIxC_BZxtnUbqZRPKy1AjI5tRD6Rj0utk1M-XwmZha78ugLlXESUyOIzJHC_nMYNDSfl8xTnTJI4C6MEj3edLHmPgbDiYMw7otbJ7nzOPAaq0S-CtWjltPHqk5ZtMGyA4DhPiMSe_3Ob/s1600/IMG_20150422_122241185.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHIxC_BZxtnUbqZRPKy1AjI5tRD6Rj0utk1M-XwmZha78ugLlXESUyOIzJHC_nMYNDSfl8xTnTJI4C6MEj3edLHmPgbDiYMw7otbJ7nzOPAaq0S-CtWjltPHqk5ZtMGyA4DhPiMSe_3Ob/s1600/IMG_20150422_122241185.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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I plan to try this method with squash and pepper plants, too, as well as another round of tomato plants. Watch for an update!<br />
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<i>Lucky for me, I live in a warm climate where I can garden year-round. What about you? Have you started your tomatoes yet? Does this look like something you'd like to try?</i></div>
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was hesitant to use these particular plants for this idea because I started them at the end of January, and though they sprouted just fine, their first couple months were spent in a small container in mediocre soil (so in my opinion, they'll never be what they could have been). But in the end, I decided that this method may be just the boost they need. We'll see what they can do!</span></div>
<br />Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-85723836611779006582015-04-16T20:45:00.000-07:002015-04-17T13:24:48.042-07:00How to be Gentle to a Postpartum Mother<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
A few years ago, our darling sister, Ariel, wrote a wonderful <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-talk-to-pregnant-woman.html">post</a> about how to speak to a pregnant woman. I loved it, and thought I might write a post about how to speak to a postpartum woman. To preface this conversation, I should mention that this may seem like, "Wow, I've had a lot of really crummy conversation right after I've had each of my children. I want to tell you about each of them. In great detail." I haven't, for each of these unfortunate experiences, I've had probably a thousand good ones. But there has been a lingering bite to some of these, and I think it is something we would all, myself included, do well to consider for the future.<br />
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<b>1. Don't assume a mother wants, or doesn't want company. Just ask.</b><br />
Giving birth is such a personal thing, and affects every mother differently. For me, each postpartum experience has been vastly different. Sometimes I have craved company, others I have relished time alone. There is no shame in asking how the mother is feeling, and if she would like company. Postpartum is a terrible time to be burdened with company you don't have the energy for. Which leads me to my next point...<br />
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<b>2. If you visit, don't overstay your welcome.</b><br />
The day my second son was born, I was in the restroom when I heard a knock at the front door. It was a lovely neighbor bringing us a meal. It was beyond thoughtful! She then sat and chatted. And chatted. And chatted... I was hiding in the bathroom, because I had just birthed a 10 lb. bowling ball after a 9 hour labor, and didn't have the energy for guests. I finally came out and sat on the couch, and my neighbor continued to chat... I honestly don't remember the resolution to that visit, (did I mention I was tired?) all I know is that it made me cry. That is a rather grandiose example, though. There was that other time <i>I </i>visited my friend whose baby was a month old, and time got away from me because our sons were playing so nicely together. And then my friend suddenly stood up inexplicably... oh wait, no. She was just trying to get the message to me that we should have left a while ago. (We had been there an hour.) Let's just all remember to make visits short, or again, find some way of asking what the mother needs.<br />
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<b>3. Don't make commentary on the size of family she ought to have. Also, don't assume she is planning on a large, or small family</b>. </div>
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Does this make anyone immediately awkward? It does me. After my second son was born, a lovely lady brought us dinner. I mentioned it being busy taking care of a new baby, and his not-yet-two-year-old older brother. She said, "Well, but then once you have your sixth or seventh, you'll see it gets easier, because the older kids will help with the younger while you are with the newest..." And she just beamed at me! Honestly, this woman can't get sweeter. She is a very good woman. But I had just had my second child days before, and was not in a hurry to jump into another pregnancy. To be blunt I didn't want more than two. And being extremely tired, and having just had a baby, I cried after she left. I honestly felt like a bad person for the literal revulsion I felt over the thought of being the mother of that many children. I've come to terms with it. Have you? Let's all remember it is none of our business how many children other people have. Assume the best, they are in close contact with God about it. He is just fine with people having large families, he is equally just fine with people having small families. The end.<br />
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<b>4. If she confides in you about a difficulty that stemmed from giving birth, the proper response is ALWAYS, "That must be so difficult. I'm so sorry!"</b><br />
I feel like this should be self-explanatory, but just incase someone missed this life lesson, if a mother tells you she has been suffering from depression since her baby was born, just hug her for crying out loud! Or, if she had a bad birth experience, don't tell her how things could have been worse. By all means, please don't tell her it could have been better if she had chosen to birth in different way. Ugh. I may have been guilty of this one, being a natural birth junky. Dear Universe, I am so very sorry for being inadvertently rude...<br />
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<b>5</b>. <b>Don't make a commitment to help the postpartum mother, unless you know you can keep it.</b><br />
These stories are shared with the permission of those involved. When I was expecting my third child, I made arrangements for my sister to come stay with me for the first week when my husband went back to work. (Seriously, am I the only person for whom that first week of being alone with all of the children, new and old, is terrifying?? It always turns out fine, but there is no masking that it is just a difficult time.) Well, plans didn't turn out as smoothly as we had thought, and I spent the first two days without any help at all. As I said, it turned out fine, but for a woman who had been expecting help, to suddenly not have it... I felt like I was drowning in babies. It was actually really harrowing. One more example to drive this one home: I have a friend who had just had her third baby, and her mom called saying she wanted to come get her older children the next morning. My friend said she could almost taste the sleep. The time for her mom to pick up the kiddies came and went, but she finally called to say she was running late. Then an hour later she called again and said she was still running late. Three hours later than when she said she would be there, she called and said she would try again the next day. (I'm not making this up.) Please, please, please, please, don't try to be helpful by promising something you cannot deliver. We all understand life is busy -- boy is it ever! It is far less offensive, though, to have someone not offer help, then to offer it at such a crucial juncture, and not fulfill.</div>
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<b>6. For heaven's sake (literally), please stop judging. Just stop. Really.</b></div>
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So there was this one time a group of my friends were talking about how sometimes women use having a baby to get out of their church callings, or not go to church for a month or more at a time. I wanted to raise my hand and say, "Been there. Done that." Like that time I was a brand new mother to my first son, and was given a time intensive calling in our the primary presidency (the children's organization of our church). I got bronchitis a week later, and was struggling with nursing because my milk supply was low from the fever and being sick -- I could not drag myself to make it to the presidency meeting that week, and so the wonderful women I was in the presidency with (one who didn't have children at the time, and another who was very honest about the fact that she had never wanted any), had taken off from work, but then there wasn't a meeting to go to because I wasn't there. And then every Sunday I would be performing some function where I couldn't be feeding my new baby, (sometimes babies want to nurse at inconvenient moments, let's be honest. I won't apologize for wanting to feed my month old baby.) and so someone else would be holding him in the hallway, and he would be crying. And so he would fall asleep crying in the hallway on Sunday's. Call me a baby, but it was too much for me. I asked to be released. And then there was that time when I had had my third baby, (whose pregnancy was a surprise, by the way), and I was slammed by postpartum depression, and I felt like I was drowning, so I asked to be released as a visiting teacher, because I wasn't making it to appointments anyway.... I'm not depressed anymore, but being a mom to three kids in three years is just really intense. I still haven't asked to be reinstated as a VT, yet. Taking care of my best time investments ever positively fills my plate, to be honest. And God has told me repeatedly that he is OK with this arrangement. Let's just not go there, friends. We don't know how that new mother is feeling. It does not matter if it her first, fifth, or tenth, just call her blessed, and then make room for her and her family's needs.</div>
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We all have our stories. Let's all learn together so we can be better sisters to those around us. Do you have any experiences you'd like to share? Please feel free, you are in a safe place here.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014986480158399207noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-32618053795635386982014-12-15T18:58:00.005-08:002014-12-15T22:02:01.583-08:0030 Great Christmas Albums for the Whole FamilyMusic makes the Christmas season for me. I have a playlist of 200+ songs going all the time right now. It includes both secular and spiritual pieces, some nostalgic and others new discoveries.<br />
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I realize that the word "great" is subjective. I don't care for most Christmas music in the popular vein (think scoopy voices and ultra-emotive interpretations) or really country music either (for rather the same reasons). And I haven't explored any Christmas rock. So my list doesn't include much of those genres. Also, it only includes music <i>all </i>of us enjoy, including the kids. They couldn't handle much Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Marilyn Horne, so that didn't make it either. :)<br />
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Almost all of this music can be found on Spotify and other internet radio, so you don't have to purchase it to enjoy it. I hope that among these you might find something to add to your list of favorites. In return, don't forget share what you love with me!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">CHORAL and CLASSICAL</span></b><br />
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<b><i>A Little Christmas Music </i>with the King's Singers</b><br />
Such a great mix of class and humor. My kids run to the speakers at the sound of "singing gaily all together" to hear the funny, clunky "fa la la la la" that follows. Their renditions of the Boar's Head Carol" and "Patapan" are stirring and powerful while their "Es ist ein Ros' entsprugen" and "Simple Gifts" are peaceful and heartwarming.<br />
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<b><i>Spirit of the Season</i> with Sissel and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir</b><br />
My <a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/relief-society/visiting-teaching-training/purpose-is-to-minister?lang=eng">visiting teachers</a> gave me this album when I was first married, and I had <i>no idea</i> how it would become one of my favorites. It includes a few great Scandinavian carols presented by the crystal voice of Norwegian singer, Sissel. In fact, she's the reason I love this album.<br />
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<b><i>Joyous Day</i> with the Utah Chamber Artists</b><br />
Even if my mom weren't in the choir when this album was recorded, it would still be one of my favorites. Bradford's arrangements are as moving as any I know. My favorites include "Sussex Carol," "Still Still Still" and "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" but it's so hard to choose.<br />
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<i><b>Musical Gifts from Joshua Bell and Friends</b></i><br />
As a violinist, this album makes me snicker, but if you enjoy silky violin playing, you can't do any better than Joshua Bell! Here, he collaborates with a different awesome artist (of various genres) on every track.<br />
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<b><i>The Nutcracker Suite</i> by Tchaikovsky </b><br />
Performed on this album by the New Hope Orchestra, this is more crucial Christmas listening (most any recording will do). We love all of it.<br />
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<b><i>Sleigh Ride and Other Holiday Favorites</i> by Leroy Anderson</b><br />
Sleigh ride is a seasonal must, but my favorite piece on this album is Suite of Carols for strings (the last track) which I played many times in string orchestras when I was a teenager. It is lovely.<br />
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<b><i>Cassation in G Major ("Toy Symphony")</i> by Leopold Mozart </b><br />
It is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Symphony">disputed</a> who really wrote this piece. For a long time people thought the composer was Haydn, but while most people now think Leopold Mozart (the famous Mozart's dad), it's apparently unconfirmed. Whoever wrote it gets credit for a lot of fun! There are actually parts written for toy instruments that make it quite an amusing listen.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">JAZZ</span></b><br />
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<b><i>A Charlie Brown Christmas</i> with the Vince Guaraldi Trio</b><br />
It's just not Christmas without it.<br />
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<b><i>An Oscar Peterson Christmas</i> </b><br />
A master of jazz, Peterson's suave, sophisticated piano playing will completely entrance you.<br />
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<b><i>When My Heart Finds Christmas</i> with Harry Connick Jr.</b><br />
I'm under the impression that this album's no secret. We've used his "Winter Wonderland" and "It Musta Been Ol' Santa Claus" over the years in family Christmas programs (you should hear my brother Joe go at the piano!). Now, I'm tickled hearing my four-year-old belt out "I <i>pray</i> on Christmas!" with the best of 'em!<br />
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<i><b>Christmas with Maureen McGovern</b></i><br />
This is a unique collection of arrangements that you will listen to over and over. Her pure, versatile voice is so satisfying. I especially like "Do You Know It's Christmas?" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "I Wonder as I Wander" and "Our First Christmas" and her Sleigh Ride medley and, well, all of them. I was so lucky to grow up on this one.<br />
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<i><b>Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas</b></i><br />
What's any playlist without Ella Fitzgerald?<br />
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<b><i>Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas</i> with various artists</b><br />
One album, eleven jazz monarchs!<br />
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<b><i>Christmastime</i> with the Swingle Singers</b><br />
A classy set of sparkling voices, these French singers meld their beautiful harmonies on pitches stated with jazzy syllables, rather than words. These arrangements feature a cozy jazz combo as back-up.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">FOLK and ETHNIC</span></b><br />
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<b><i>Traditional Christmas Carols</i> with Pete Seeger</b><br />
A devoted fan of Seeger's sound and style, I discovered this album just this year, and it is a gem! I love the folk approach because of its unadorned simplicity. He can sing all the verses you've never heard to "The First Noel" with not a bit of worry that it might seem too long or redundant. I never knew I'd like a Christmas album with banjo, but I love it. I love it.<br />
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<b><i>The Sounding Joy </i>with Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends</b><br />
Another folk singer unafraid to stand close to the microphone and keep it simple. Released just last year, this album presents songs you may never have heard and includes several memorable collaborations.<br />
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<b><i>Christmas Spirituals </i>with Odetta</b><br />
You might not be able to stomach all of this album at once, but please treat yourself to a couple songs at a time. What a deep, resonant, soulful voice!! Wow.<br />
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<b><i>Celtic Christmas</i> and <i>Christmas Angels </i>with Katie McMahon</b><br />
A soloist in the original Riverdance troupe, this Irish singer is probably my favorite discovery of the year. I am head over heels for her clear voice in these mixtures of both familiar and new carols.<br />
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<b><i>Feliz Navidad</i> with Jose Feliciano</b><br />
Because, come on, why not?<br />
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<b><i>Christmas Album </i>with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass</b><br />
I grew up on this group, but I was still surprised how much I enjoyed this holiday album.<br />
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<b><i>Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas </i>with the Klezmonauts</b><br />
This album was introduced to me just this year by some friends. You might have to hear it to believe it. Unbelievable what's going on here. Well done and so much fun!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">OLDIES</span></b><br />
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<b><i>Christmas Collections</i> with the Carpenters</b></div>
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Karen Carpenter's rich alto voice. That's all.</div>
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<i><b>The Very Best of Burl Ives Christmas</b></i></div>
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You might know his voice best from the stop motion animation of the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special, some songs from which are included on this disc. Ives has a nice classic voice with a straightforward style.</div>
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<i><b>The Andrews Sisters Sing Christmas</b></i></div>
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A very fun trio. They recorded many Christmas songs with Bing Crosby, considered by some to be the king of the Christmas playlist. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that I just can't stomach him. But I love the ladies by themselves!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS</span></b><br />
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<b><i>Cole, Christmas, and Kids</i> with Nat King Cole</b><br />
He has always been one of my favorites singers this time of year, but I just discovered this super album made especially for kids. We all love it. Our favorites include "The Happiest Christmas Tree," "All I Want for Christmas," and "Buon Natale."<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/The_Polar_Express_soundtrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/The_Polar_Express_soundtrack.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><i>The Polar Express</i> Soundtrack</b><br />
I love this movie and I love the soundtrack. We wait in anticipation all year to re-experience it! The theme song ("Polar Express") is our favorite, followed closely by "Hot Chocolate," but we also love "Spirit of the Season." And Keenan has been very patient with the numerous listenings to "Rockin' on Top of the World" (he thinks the singer sounds like a wild animal).<br />
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<a href="http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2011-12/1323864732_folder-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2011-12/1323864732_folder-large.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><i>A Christmas Together</i> with John Denver and the Muppets</b><br />
I wish I could find an album with the songs from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojtGHXsTXmU">A Muppet Family Christmas</a>, but these guys are a fun combo. "Twelve Days of Christmas" and "We Wish You a merry Christmas" get us giggling.<br />
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<b><i>Chipmunks Christmas </i>with Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and Dave</b><br />
A little silly stuff is okay. ;)<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P7boBS8bL._SS280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P7boBS8bL._SS280.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><b>Raffi's Christmas Album</b></i><br />
Another admirably straightforward singer who draws the kids right in. This album does not disappoint.<br />
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<i>What are you listening to this season?</i>Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-45121692822809993132014-08-28T14:57:00.001-07:002014-08-28T15:00:47.978-07:00DIY: Installing Airlocks (Cheap, Easy, Fast!)<i>Well, I'd say we took the summer off blogging, didn't we!? We've all been off galavanting every which way, enjoying the long summer days, and trying new things to share. :)</i><br />
<br />
I've had several inquiries regarding my previous post on <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2014/05/sauerkraut-want-it-love-it.html" target="_blank">making sauerkraut</a>. I'm happy the love is spreading! I have officially installed nine airlocks this summer, and just<i> <b>must</b> </i>share how easy and worthwhile it is.<br />
<br />
The point of the airlock is to allow carbon dioxide to escape (put off by the lactic acid-producing bacteria), without reintroducing any oxygen. Those little critters need an anaerobic environment to thrive.<br />
<br />
<b>Here's What You Need:</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E60G2W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">airlocks</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf61PeyNKF4Kz8ZpKSEkDa1gM6fzLxInks2WKVgXFC6fkHXqvDdIfEZcKq_58yfGN_um-NecYbKSYZVxsxwq33WrHK9XWgQYRu7KZ8IPBeZ3EDGHTC5auJHxUS_YY-q-5J-ThAZhpXoLWZ/s1600/IMG_20140611_104126030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf61PeyNKF4Kz8ZpKSEkDa1gM6fzLxInks2WKVgXFC6fkHXqvDdIfEZcKq_58yfGN_um-NecYbKSYZVxsxwq33WrHK9XWgQYRu7KZ8IPBeZ3EDGHTC5auJHxUS_YY-q-5J-ThAZhpXoLWZ/s1600/IMG_20140611_104126030.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Some 3/8" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BO4WSG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">grommets</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWLhut4A2Px1TRFZrE9_IcXixd8deawAaI0u8OSrztheMd5TgefcqtXVZAwqYWAxuKkbDCNn-oK2bYE3A9knJl9Z_R4kFI0xwK8XK4skQ595L7mD57NgpEPnOpUYivEQJmZkc69eARptm/s1600/IMG_20140611_104118729_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWLhut4A2Px1TRFZrE9_IcXixd8deawAaI0u8OSrztheMd5TgefcqtXVZAwqYWAxuKkbDCNn-oK2bYE3A9knJl9Z_R4kFI0xwK8XK4skQ595L7mD57NgpEPnOpUYivEQJmZkc69eARptm/s1600/IMG_20140611_104118729_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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A drill with a 7/16" bit</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kKHyWZz4t8ZBDsTq6wcd1e8yz19ADYNLlht8Xg5vNM82O9dtAgxZy2SBxvHf9QJBKgd8hCj0IfwJdws-jULOFO9TffOEqJQgHvRt0T5e7Vo4WhCf-DfgExsyDNatscJocP8YlWC8YsNr/s1600/IMG_20140611_104341968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kKHyWZz4t8ZBDsTq6wcd1e8yz19ADYNLlht8Xg5vNM82O9dtAgxZy2SBxvHf9QJBKgd8hCj0IfwJdws-jULOFO9TffOEqJQgHvRt0T5e7Vo4WhCf-DfgExsyDNatscJocP8YlWC8YsNr/s1600/IMG_20140611_104341968.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Here's What You Do</b><br />
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1) Attach the 7/16" bit to your drill (if you find this too tight to slide the airlock in later, you can also use the 1/2" bit, but try the former first).<br />
<br />
2) Drill a hole in the top of a mason jar lid. I found it easier to do this while the lid was secured onto a quart jar. Mason jars really seal well, which is why I like to use them, but you could also use a jar with a lid that has a rubber edge around that inside of the lid (like most salsa jars).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxx0j9hMgiWeBJxOQg2GqGXhhPOHFueRZq90jBgv7TGmSi8kIqCvID4UhC2oOAnBjZrTIWZIJc2wNFB3TV8a-S2wp2cBGpVCJmLysefzUluiEA_Ojmk7zD3Bpj1GbLQ22rGuU5J6b16tb/s1600/IMG_20140611_104545183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxx0j9hMgiWeBJxOQg2GqGXhhPOHFueRZq90jBgv7TGmSi8kIqCvID4UhC2oOAnBjZrTIWZIJc2wNFB3TV8a-S2wp2cBGpVCJmLysefzUluiEA_Ojmk7zD3Bpj1GbLQ22rGuU5J6b16tb/s1600/IMG_20140611_104545183.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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3) Fit the grommet into the drilled hole.<br />
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4) Carefully press the end of the airlock into the grommet. It doesn't need to go in terribly far, it just needs to be <b>as tight as possible</b>. (Be careful how you put weight onto these cheap airlocks—they can crack, like the one pictured here. We used some super glue on it and thankfully didn't have any leaks.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyNKStMAxTn-wT08-_wR9sRKQTkZ5lqbKxcwZMi7jCognTY44vZaXF-JJ8y6UQMXnvEKcwQlvLdqim_PbUaX8zmX3KNO0zy98Sd8goMC-4eKEbI8eeor5uqVW0wSpdH2eOjrlpFdRe6R8/s1600/IMG_20140611_110535758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyNKStMAxTn-wT08-_wR9sRKQTkZ5lqbKxcwZMi7jCognTY44vZaXF-JJ8y6UQMXnvEKcwQlvLdqim_PbUaX8zmX3KNO0zy98Sd8goMC-4eKEbI8eeor5uqVW0wSpdH2eOjrlpFdRe6R8/s1600/IMG_20140611_110535758.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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5) Ta-da!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XNMP78-OQKXZEqVh1oJbbUjgkR8Oj1yz3AaPSTJfMHvrgfF6psixZKO1Oq02LP4J0viccQ9xS9YwnybgH70_E2uCFvSK7I1SyeNih6qKQOx7x8RSmQdwUbEDQVZWpF2_bzxMZx96sqaa/s1600/IMG_20140611_105517540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XNMP78-OQKXZEqVh1oJbbUjgkR8Oj1yz3AaPSTJfMHvrgfF6psixZKO1Oq02LP4J0viccQ9xS9YwnybgH70_E2uCFvSK7I1SyeNih6qKQOx7x8RSmQdwUbEDQVZWpF2_bzxMZx96sqaa/s1600/IMG_20140611_105517540.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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6) After you pack the jar with whatever you want to lacto-ferment, be sure to add a little water to the fill-line on the airlock. This helps keep your veggies airtight.<br />
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Right away I started fermenting some garden beets and carrots. I found tricky ways of keeping the veggies submerged below the brine. For the beets, I left the largest slices uncut and lodged them down beneath the shoulders of the jars. For the carrots, I used celery slices (which ended up being <i>delicious</i>) and did the same thing. Be sure to leave at least an inch of headspace between the brine and the top of the jar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR2oCvOexFRsFRuoJeaIHnHEHffgkUM6XICIG38q-GOypjybItqJ5GagG90tTL0T4QbOPXxmmOBBHHmo17EmFcc7Il584W1OCYokqMIzCYC5j0UicrS2Br2jU00czwnjW9aBVo0bc_Ba8/s1600/_20140611_163040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR2oCvOexFRsFRuoJeaIHnHEHffgkUM6XICIG38q-GOypjybItqJ5GagG90tTL0T4QbOPXxmmOBBHHmo17EmFcc7Il584W1OCYokqMIzCYC5j0UicrS2Br2jU00czwnjW9aBVo0bc_Ba8/s1600/_20140611_163040.JPG" height="400" width="358" /></a></div>
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Feel free to stare for a few minutes.</div>
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I did.</div>
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I left them at a friend's house for a few weeks while I was out of town, <i>so</i> eager to try them upon our return. Wow. I was not disappointed. Neither were my little boys. We all loved them!</div>
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Next I did pickling cucumbers, <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/07/preserved-lemons-and-homemade-bubbies.html" target="_blank">Bubbies style</a>. I kept the cucumbers submerged with grape leaves, which help keep the pickles crisp. Two of the jars are still going (six weeks later) and some of the brine has sunk below the leaves at the top. I can see no sign of mold. Props to the airlocks!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZFl3NA2zwm8t_bVXQxdtzUuhWZYpr8nzNBwLP-mpkbcCS6b4llVP1pHHmu3llZ7d18edW8-F2FhyphenhyphenaP7SxSxTqLHr2VY8O-du1JzWS44Nb6topO7o3Qob_0tpsdAbp6WUpImW1tTQdJiE/s1600/IMG_20140804_092848117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZFl3NA2zwm8t_bVXQxdtzUuhWZYpr8nzNBwLP-mpkbcCS6b4llVP1pHHmu3llZ7d18edW8-F2FhyphenhyphenaP7SxSxTqLHr2VY8O-du1JzWS44Nb6topO7o3Qob_0tpsdAbp6WUpImW1tTQdJiE/s1600/IMG_20140804_092848117.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Here they are after three weeks of fermenting.</div>
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The airlock water in the first jar is a little </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
off-color because some of the escaping </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
CO2 tried to drag my brine up with it!</div>
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Lastly, I made 5 gallons of <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2014/05/sauerkraut-want-it-love-it.html" target="_blank">sauerkraut</a> (2.5 pictured here, 2.5 in my Harsch crock). I kept the kraut submerged by anchoring a large, firm cabbage leaf beneath the shoulders. The sauerkraut became really bubbly really quick as the first stage of fermentation began. I had to open the jars and re-press the cabbage beneath the brine. I recommend leaving a little more than one inch of headspace, and plenty of brine above the veggies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-q8W5hujPjUDQtTUp1t7rRSuWmxjU_PMHc_gvzcaZWoRV3VrJFJ8FfvvrEt8RidkE7iH_kOv2-8MIg3KfIvm3F2FTbctJMojf-WWLqRhOJxsp4zWDkI_97WDNBd967cQoxi0Br9WGKso7/s1600/IMG_20140725_212545699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-q8W5hujPjUDQtTUp1t7rRSuWmxjU_PMHc_gvzcaZWoRV3VrJFJ8FfvvrEt8RidkE7iH_kOv2-8MIg3KfIvm3F2FTbctJMojf-WWLqRhOJxsp4zWDkI_97WDNBd967cQoxi0Br9WGKso7/s1600/IMG_20140725_212545699.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made these five weeks ago.* We've already gone through two of these jars, with three of them (and the crock) still going strong. The flavor is a little different every time I open a new jar (the older it is, the more I like it). When we're ready to dig in, I swap out the airlock lid for a unpunctured lid, and pop it in the fridge, ready to accompany every meal. :)<br />
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Honestly, it's a thrill.<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">I must admit, I came out liking the airlock method more than the open-vat method (mentioned in the sauerkraut post) for two reasons: 1) I never had to deal with skimming mold off the top, and 2) I found the flavor slightly more complex for the same amount of time.</span>Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-75515195547090565712014-05-19T14:03:00.001-07:002014-09-04T12:43:44.773-07:00Sauerkraut: Want It, Love ItWhen I was 16, I spent a few weeks touring around Europe as part of a youth orchestra. It was unforgettable.<br />
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My strongest culinary memory from that trip (aside from Italian gelato and a certain restaurant on the Champs-Elysées) was the sauerkraut in Switzerland. Knowing nothing about it, I wished then that I <i>could</i> forget it. It was rather sour. It smelled funny. I didn't like it. I didn't want it. And I couldn't wrap my mind around its immense popularity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6aJck_Y35cufnEkg5YMN3vI8d8XYBsLaEvCFaBhIDNXZH8z194RW60ajRCYcNYen665-aLM3BEP6r4q4hHaKuzFXRgRnW098kKO3RzyMGb1gVl8SIu3JexuOvnRDEcvyrgPrRI00k8FV/s1600/Photo+Jul+09,+9+27+27+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6aJck_Y35cufnEkg5YMN3vI8d8XYBsLaEvCFaBhIDNXZH8z194RW60ajRCYcNYen665-aLM3BEP6r4q4hHaKuzFXRgRnW098kKO3RzyMGb1gVl8SIu3JexuOvnRDEcvyrgPrRI00k8FV/s1600/Photo+Jul+09,+9+27+27+PM.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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I wish I could see my teenage self peer into the future and observe in disbelief my love affair with this fermented cabbage <i>now</i>. It is deliciously sour and impressively complex. I love it. I crave it. I eat it almost every day. If it runs out—tragedy.</div>
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A standout in the repertoire of lacto-fermented foods, sauerkraut packs a powerful punch. The fermentation occurs as tiny little bacteria called <i>lactobacilli</i> happily feed on the starches and sugars in the food, producing lactic acid (thus <i>lacto-</i>fermentation). This amazing, transformative process<br />
<ul>
<li>perfectly preserves the food</li>
<li>enhances digestibility</li>
<li>increases vitamin levels </li>
<li>creates <i>new</i> nutrients </li>
<li>removes toxins from the food</li>
<li>produces beneficial enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances </li>
<li>inhibits growth of bad bacteria, not only on the food but also in your gut (that is, it would give E. coli a good fight if it happened to show up down there)</li>
<li>breaks down phytic acid, even in the gut</li>
<li>promotes healthy gut flora (probiotic), thereby strengthening your immunity</li>
<li>produces a complex flavor that evolves with age</li>
</ul>
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Wow. Raise your hand if you want some of THAT!<br />
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Whether you want it or not, you do need it. As you make it and eat it, little by little you will start to crave it and love it. Your body will recognize the good it's doing and keep reminding you. When I have encountered sugar cravings, taking a few bites of sauerkraut instead has been both satisfying and healing. My body sings its praises after every little bite.<br />
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<i>A caution</i>: many brands of sauerkraut available in stores have been pasteurized, killing the beneficial microorganisms we so desire. In order to reap the deep benefits, you have to make it yourself.<br />
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Fortunately, it's easy! If you've never lacto-fermented anything before, sauerkraut is a great place to start. I suggest reading the whole recipe before starting. Here we go!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnPmmZYYzEEhlcGcSXqfiG4iJ32FiJxSYFOP7Ecu_dRrK6XdVkZMtosUmGRxRwsxj_c6_nY3JCDiUEZZz4BEgjzoiEFeR0dVKrIAfKbF0US7IHGBeYqSA9nbU5UHfG1FjphtHeLGojTbD/s1600/_20140519_133859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnPmmZYYzEEhlcGcSXqfiG4iJ32FiJxSYFOP7Ecu_dRrK6XdVkZMtosUmGRxRwsxj_c6_nY3JCDiUEZZz4BEgjzoiEFeR0dVKrIAfKbF0US7IHGBeYqSA9nbU5UHfG1FjphtHeLGojTbD/s1600/_20140519_133859.JPG" height="320" width="294" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>BASIC SAUERKRAUT</b></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
For every pound of <i>organic cabbage</i>, use 2 tsp.<i> sea salt</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Equipment</b><br />
<ul>
<li>A sharp knife</li>
<li>A cutting board</li>
<li>A scale (if you don't have one, weigh your cabbages at the market, keeping in mind that you'll be coring them) </li>
<li>A large mixing bowl</li>
<li>Fermentation vessel of choice (you can use a regular mason jar)*</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Directions</b><br />
1) Technically this step is optional, but I like to start by sharpening up my knife a little to expedite the cutting, especially if I'm making a big batch (which is always).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKvTi3jRscM1kFOMiSkfM1w-FX0zP0p0qDJWbBhywmPwIUUthIBD-k6Nk-9Bh1eYGK-dnnkylhpd9cYwpnG2ZgOrnO4GTQgh9vhYh-KPXUW3x73Y5I46GPh-taAk6qhWXAkaIusuL9ORA/s1600/IMG_20140203_125652077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKvTi3jRscM1kFOMiSkfM1w-FX0zP0p0qDJWbBhywmPwIUUthIBD-k6Nk-9Bh1eYGK-dnnkylhpd9cYwpnG2ZgOrnO4GTQgh9vhYh-KPXUW3x73Y5I46GPh-taAk6qhWXAkaIusuL9ORA/s1600/IMG_20140203_125652077.jpg" height="200" width="111" /></a></div>
<br />
2) Remove outer cabbage leaves. Cut and core the cabbage.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8kVIIPEGYIpljBbUHLZqCHJPbnndPqN76uXpMOISiT8OqEmrQR6-PK38pULKxTHLVwPp1U1X_A2XXoeTCBf-B4zxTwKQNal2F8vW03n5RIyKkJk3aHOejgvBE3njRIWuXs9KypdubztH/s1600/IMG_20140203_130904346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8kVIIPEGYIpljBbUHLZqCHJPbnndPqN76uXpMOISiT8OqEmrQR6-PK38pULKxTHLVwPp1U1X_A2XXoeTCBf-B4zxTwKQNal2F8vW03n5RIyKkJk3aHOejgvBE3njRIWuXs9KypdubztH/s1600/IMG_20140203_130904346.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3d-uzK4LPAm_CSbJm7JSlRoJzANN2I1FCBgbnSbMX8YN-KVVDMzwwuveVdKnYZ0RHnSDAuLF3pryLozMinDs1x2vv3s_-a9P6Y4RkMDjEDqBDoV74NSq8V4xIQbw3hGYwkfdIElsuI0Z/s1600/IMG_20140203_130919997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3d-uzK4LPAm_CSbJm7JSlRoJzANN2I1FCBgbnSbMX8YN-KVVDMzwwuveVdKnYZ0RHnSDAuLF3pryLozMinDs1x2vv3s_-a9P6Y4RkMDjEDqBDoV74NSq8V4xIQbw3hGYwkfdIElsuI0Z/s1600/IMG_20140203_130919997.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7LSlvpuu5aZXLRfJRcNh91FpMyWlQWXJ97ZXocq9uOGNJK82EA5z5WsxO0A0dAg1AtI5DkYZ3mR9QFVsxE61yfU-tClNQGcvReoaovWwXlwK26YQPXj_RZNU03PnjT2HzI5qXZ-uMukv/s1600/IMG_20140203_130951383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7LSlvpuu5aZXLRfJRcNh91FpMyWlQWXJ97ZXocq9uOGNJK82EA5z5WsxO0A0dAg1AtI5DkYZ3mR9QFVsxE61yfU-tClNQGcvReoaovWwXlwK26YQPXj_RZNU03PnjT2HzI5qXZ-uMukv/s1600/IMG_20140203_130951383.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<br />
3) Shred the cabbage. (You can use a food processor if you want, but I prefer the consistency I achieve with a knife.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi__34RTTFfmSmVzOU49-U7GmsFZ3ABaIy2eD9JPj7HAeUNfx-SlzNoaZdVue6gIxg6H9kjlbooXI4u738LaLIDAK6M-Xl0hRbuzlyCDm79EFfPeiyeVnNvBgnFE_dQQOkNTS3Nrft3IVk/s1600/IMG_20140203_131014111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi__34RTTFfmSmVzOU49-U7GmsFZ3ABaIy2eD9JPj7HAeUNfx-SlzNoaZdVue6gIxg6H9kjlbooXI4u738LaLIDAK6M-Xl0hRbuzlyCDm79EFfPeiyeVnNvBgnFE_dQQOkNTS3Nrft3IVk/s1600/IMG_20140203_131014111.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTblnhUw9vO3nkacWn3J4oKUDotpuBAKweq-7BnW1K_b8SW3nbrSt3HKqmJWg5JWsHrLqCj7Q6mpTC4i5GM6lHSmpUBtn7XHjq1Rj1oiGqSDPFQubIRTJ69REl9E8MxKiMCO5YfOEhA1vH/s1600/IMG_20140203_131053324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTblnhUw9vO3nkacWn3J4oKUDotpuBAKweq-7BnW1K_b8SW3nbrSt3HKqmJWg5JWsHrLqCj7Q6mpTC4i5GM6lHSmpUBtn7XHjq1Rj1oiGqSDPFQubIRTJ69REl9E8MxKiMCO5YfOEhA1vH/s1600/IMG_20140203_131053324.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<br />
4) Weigh the cabbage, adding the salt as you go. The salt preserves the cabbage as the pH drops during the first few days of fermentation.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aq6IksnpxQ1-ixOYsV2qkUmUdhFfPK1zn_hjeTuVKrOBgjXDrx2cFlJXiGmT18YwPCygzUoHqxYfdgtpC_9PlmRi0YjGVA5h_eDzqrOpx_PeoEtSHJdGR7zr2OfEeSeU43RumfvQEsRK/s1600/IMG_20140203_141600401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aq6IksnpxQ1-ixOYsV2qkUmUdhFfPK1zn_hjeTuVKrOBgjXDrx2cFlJXiGmT18YwPCygzUoHqxYfdgtpC_9PlmRi0YjGVA5h_eDzqrOpx_PeoEtSHJdGR7zr2OfEeSeU43RumfvQEsRK/s1600/IMG_20140203_141600401.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XuyK14AS3KMYu6ect-IcHcK2oTEwk5fbOH8I8dsPy8mW-9bFJJ5iLDyieqhs-5fCMYE-N9MR7hUjQfpYwDZgml4ZHRydjt5vQT609jk1uUhrUy4j9uNrKjT6QQa4VcVaWIK0qxM4leOc/s1600/IMG_20140203_142146204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XuyK14AS3KMYu6ect-IcHcK2oTEwk5fbOH8I8dsPy8mW-9bFJJ5iLDyieqhs-5fCMYE-N9MR7hUjQfpYwDZgml4ZHRydjt5vQT609jk1uUhrUy4j9uNrKjT6QQa4VcVaWIK0qxM4leOc/s1600/IMG_20140203_142146204.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8JeI6bIo7Nk2dmV79WwkajjX-OtW8eJXfVZWF4srmMFPuBjFJFFs-5LT6eS4EtTM1Q1LE5dyh9RcN-JShhyhrHEp_RdUfAPH1JZYQ3kSxaBAWyfovIIM7W7gr-5rPK1e980RX_P3tgah/s1600/IMG_20140203_141535345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8JeI6bIo7Nk2dmV79WwkajjX-OtW8eJXfVZWF4srmMFPuBjFJFFs-5LT6eS4EtTM1Q1LE5dyh9RcN-JShhyhrHEp_RdUfAPH1JZYQ3kSxaBAWyfovIIM7W7gr-5rPK1e980RX_P3tgah/s1600/IMG_20140203_141535345.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
5) Squeeze and press the juice out of that cabbage! You can go nuts and do it all at once OR you can let the cabbage and salt sit together for a while to help draw out the juices before pressing (which you can do right in your fermentation container, if you like). This can take hours or even a whole day if it suits you.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGNUzFJEej5NzzmkMHkQcMgLz_nLQrSQLu0IEPXW6tV7WEsUvTcMNsZi0TYwuzDKXrjYRRWbZRCe_ti0nUSrOYTrqgRM73_3lG5NQYx0ndilhHwqJ2Mr7ImbKSWyhGtGzcYF3mCJVLo8s/s1600/IMG_20140203_145409630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGNUzFJEej5NzzmkMHkQcMgLz_nLQrSQLu0IEPXW6tV7WEsUvTcMNsZi0TYwuzDKXrjYRRWbZRCe_ti0nUSrOYTrqgRM73_3lG5NQYx0ndilhHwqJ2Mr7ImbKSWyhGtGzcYF3mCJVLo8s/s1600/IMG_20140203_145409630.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7Y0BvtxJ8CkwzCrx0d5NKRFerbpP_swkovbH45vAEcOBIZXaOSGSgontqRFDCwekWE6XAEYpEZkKe3jbV7EMBc1R-mX-_SlghEEG8Ek6pv3bN0Nahu6z8R6QROF20qk1-MfcEJFYmnSx/s1600/IMG_20140203_180913125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7Y0BvtxJ8CkwzCrx0d5NKRFerbpP_swkovbH45vAEcOBIZXaOSGSgontqRFDCwekWE6XAEYpEZkKe3jbV7EMBc1R-mX-_SlghEEG8Ek6pv3bN0Nahu6z8R6QROF20qk1-MfcEJFYmnSx/s1600/IMG_20140203_180913125.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
6) Using a small implement (e.g. a little jar, meat hammer, potato masher, <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/cabbage-crusher-wood.html" target="_blank">one of these</a> fancy crushers, or your fists), pack the cabbage tightly into your fermentation container, getting rid of as many air bubbles as possible. Leave at least one inch between the juice and the top of your jar (the sauerkraut will expand). If you're having trouble getting the juices to rise above the cabbage, you may add some salt water (1 tablespoon sea salt dissolved in 1 cup filtered water) as needed. I have rarely needed to add water, but it won't ruin your ferment to do so. :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteKxxuD733J3OOh2pAZLrGIGcu6dR5zNPF-ja5-cS6xFjk8AkRApm4VamXsqAfXXzHacNydFlFODGXBY96P7vNBChNIp7tAGYhSQfZl050oZVWaA3QNDAYGEaup-WMn7ZmX2hPg86XKX8/s1600/IMG_20140203_214537406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteKxxuD733J3OOh2pAZLrGIGcu6dR5zNPF-ja5-cS6xFjk8AkRApm4VamXsqAfXXzHacNydFlFODGXBY96P7vNBChNIp7tAGYhSQfZl050oZVWaA3QNDAYGEaup-WMn7ZmX2hPg86XKX8/s1600/IMG_20140203_214537406.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKg81axfSJ4xMPPNbpzZP_5_Qy0JIBfFfKv7v_zPvK8KPxwbdP-6UkqA5tKr-lPtR7ta1CHTWWEQZfIFXFOfTGR6t9e-t116y1bRpN5FxWvsuyuHWOW2EEqWc0h8HwaXAQpItvhSo8k8a/s1600/IMG_20140203_214808571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKg81axfSJ4xMPPNbpzZP_5_Qy0JIBfFfKv7v_zPvK8KPxwbdP-6UkqA5tKr-lPtR7ta1CHTWWEQZfIFXFOfTGR6t9e-t116y1bRpN5FxWvsuyuHWOW2EEqWc0h8HwaXAQpItvhSo8k8a/s1600/IMG_20140203_214808571.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Harsch crock, stored under the sink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
7) Sauerkraut requires an anaerobic environment to ferment, so <i>you need to keep the cabbage submerged under the brine</i> to avoid spoilage. If you're using a mason jar without an <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2014/08/diy-installing-airlocks-cheap-easy-fast.html" target="_blank">airlock</a>, use one of the two following methods:<br />
<ol>
<li>Leave the jar open, but weigh the cabbage down with something heavier so the brine stays well above it. Keep your eye on your kraut. If you notice a thin white film forming atop your brine, just skim it off. You're welcome to taste and stir your sauerkraut whenever you like. </li>
<li>Close the jar tightly and put it in a cool, dark corner of your kitchen. The lactobacilli put off CO2 that needs to be released, so if you choose this method, you should "burp" the jar every few days by loosening the ring and allowing the CO2 to escape. You can also take this opportunity to taste your kraut. You will notice the flavor changing as the fermentation progresses.</li>
</ol>
8) Wait. You have to be patient. Sauerkraut goes through three stages of fermentation, and you get the most benefit out of it if you <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/" target="_blank">wait a minimum of four weeks</a> (see "mistake #1" in that post). Remember, the cabbage <i>must</i> stay submerged under the brine.<br />
<br />
9) When you taste the sauerkraut, trust your instincts. Sauerkraut has a high success rate (I don't think I've ever botched a batch), but occasionally one might go bad. <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/" target="_blank">This post</a> includes some visuals that might warn of an improper ferment (see "mistake #2," though if you use any purple cabbage to begin with, then "pink cabbage" is not going to be an indicator of spoilage). <b>Above all, <i>trust your gut!</i></b><br />
<br />
10) There are lots of ways to eat it. Like this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdJ7uzU9Ff5lKOwy6JgbBqShM-BtKLraYZ9yVmEOirwgTzVXXfvnKSDKg98JumJLU2vBoTH2pJPDEC5npnH4ojgYe1CUEDtToDjgDzy6bxurtsSYg4LggehMhDDXDR4sI_A0mq1K8qPFU/s1600/IMG_20140211_131241380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdJ7uzU9Ff5lKOwy6JgbBqShM-BtKLraYZ9yVmEOirwgTzVXXfvnKSDKg98JumJLU2vBoTH2pJPDEC5npnH4ojgYe1CUEDtToDjgDzy6bxurtsSYg4LggehMhDDXDR4sI_A0mq1K8qPFU/s1600/IMG_20140211_131241380.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraIpPy1EJ0FoUG7OmHa2A8ZTl6q8B4YiTtLmq3Q_zPgkj7-dxBHwQpO-306v9ihfUOqqclbnR3WkYzU0uOWJbKsBxtXhqvQeTnW6BpbehjageLA2_BrstDckI28R10oX_16sOjFfV9T3K/s1600/IMG_20140312_134749569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraIpPy1EJ0FoUG7OmHa2A8ZTl6q8B4YiTtLmq3Q_zPgkj7-dxBHwQpO-306v9ihfUOqqclbnR3WkYzU0uOWJbKsBxtXhqvQeTnW6BpbehjageLA2_BrstDckI28R10oX_16sOjFfV9T3K/s1600/IMG_20140312_134749569.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
This:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U41_gG8JVUrx-vCVFMQwnGonznMbu-LahKalwEtS0g8UNvIHPOrTKqhpE0DtlQ2OgW4MA_twKy05VoAjnJ9gRgr1g30P9jKPoNqgGWJytnIR959O2BM_gKKwaTAzmbuqTpZj51XE8Diy/s1600/At+the+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U41_gG8JVUrx-vCVFMQwnGonznMbu-LahKalwEtS0g8UNvIHPOrTKqhpE0DtlQ2OgW4MA_twKy05VoAjnJ9gRgr1g30P9jKPoNqgGWJytnIR959O2BM_gKKwaTAzmbuqTpZj51XE8Diy/s1600/At+the+table.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
Or even this (the juice is an amazing digestive tonic!):<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlcyzPh7Gj_8bB5JABfRDiZByRiH4RUg2soxXdIlJKRoZ5EeLDPgDRTB44RGMa4mH4A7hqzF5_eyNyM4Eh4fWsiPWd4vGQNEwWJ64Nj_-jbVgi25r1_oBKYPLytb-NVgOh5DZwMnAlSWB/s1600/Photo+Aug+23,+2+57+03+PM+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlcyzPh7Gj_8bB5JABfRDiZByRiH4RUg2soxXdIlJKRoZ5EeLDPgDRTB44RGMa4mH4A7hqzF5_eyNyM4Eh4fWsiPWd4vGQNEwWJ64Nj_-jbVgi25r1_oBKYPLytb-NVgOh5DZwMnAlSWB/s1600/Photo+Aug+23,+2+57+03+PM+(1).jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Or whatever tickles your fancy or tempts your palate. It can be eaten plain or added to just about anything—salads, sandwiches, smoothies, warm soups—and it's notoriously good with meats.<br />
<br />
<b>I hereby wield the power of the <i>Daily Dare</i> and challenge you to make some sauerkraut and eat it! I promise that if you make it, wait patiently for it to transform, and consume it regularly, you will reap tremendous health benefits. You will <i>want</i> it.</b><br />
<br />
Once you've made it a couple times, you'll be ready for sauerkraut's foreign cousins, kimchi and cortido (coming soon!).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~~~</div>
<br />
Some of my resources on lacto-fermentation:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Wild Fermentation</i> by Sandor Katz (he has a couple other good ones, too)</li>
<li><i>Real Food Fermentation</i> by Alex Lewin</li>
<li><i>Nourishing Traditions</i> by Sally Fallon (just a section dedicated to it in this book)</li>
<li><a href="http://gnowfglins.com/ecourse/fermentation-ebook" target="_blank"><i>Lacto-Fermentation</i></a> eBook by GNOWFGLINS (Wardee also recently published a book called <i>The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods</i>,<i> </i>which I don't have)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/lacto-fermentation-free-ebook" target="_blank"><i>Lacto-Fermentation</i></a> eBook by Cultures for Health (free online!)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>*An Important Word on the Vessel</b><br />
<div>
Some recipes call for using a plain old mason jar. I fermented this way many times before a wonderful person gave me a 10-liter Harsch crock a year ago. Everyone seems to have a different idea about fermenting in mason jars. Some think it's best to have a container that can release the gases produced by the lactobacilli without allowing more oxygen into the jar (using something like <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/natural-fermentation/fermentation-crocks.html" target="_blank">these</a>, or here's a more economical <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2014/08/diy-installing-airlocks-cheap-easy-fast.html" target="_blank">DIY</a> for attaching an airlock to your mason jar lid).<br />
<br />
At least one blogger has stirred up some <a href="http://www.intentionallydomestic.com/lactic-acid-bacteria-and-the-lowly-mason-jar/" target="_blank">controversy</a> regarding the safety and efficacy of lacto-fermenting in mason jars. <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/mason-jar-ferments-safe/" target="_blank">Here is another blogger's responses</a> to those circulating concerns. Traditional fermentation expert <a href="http://www.wildfermentation.com/who-is-sandorkraut/" target="_blank">Sandor Katz</a> is not at all concerned about using an open ferment method, as long as the food is clearly submerged beneath the brine. <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/" target="_blank">The post I referenced above</a> (with the three common fermenting mistakes) contains good information on how to ferment optimally (staying totally anaerobic, avoiding mold, getting consistent results, and increasing lactobacilli) as well as lots of interesting discussion in the comments. Also, <a href="http://www.nourishingtreasures.com/index.php/2012/07/03/sauerkraut-survivor-final-report/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">do check out this cool experiment</a> (18 different vessels for 28 days).<br />
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All that said, I personally think mason jars are a fine place for someone to start out their fermentation journey. Better there than not at all! I did it many times before using a crock, and I never experienced anything but wholesomeness. :)</div>
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Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-61232801302310713262014-04-29T00:22:00.001-07:002014-04-29T00:22:42.593-07:00The Soggy Lettuce Conundrum (and How to Stop It)Sometimes I lose produce before I can use it.<br />
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Well, it actually happens less often since I stuck this nifty sticky whiteboard to my fridge. Now I write down all our produce and perishable leftovers so I remember what's going on in my kitchen (both in and out of the fridge).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m2gp4Iwh97O3fTXtv1mkmsYq0mM7pVNnPO_FN1VgouhEJ10fBUGs_sD-_DastkevYcg7T64ElbuJd4SFmO610OKvbNHfPXvVbrIvLepW974PHCXMYhnJ6g2DYrQoTgihc1EhVvKweuD1/s1600/2014-01-14+11.24.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m2gp4Iwh97O3fTXtv1mkmsYq0mM7pVNnPO_FN1VgouhEJ10fBUGs_sD-_DastkevYcg7T64ElbuJd4SFmO610OKvbNHfPXvVbrIvLepW974PHCXMYhnJ6g2DYrQoTgihc1EhVvKweuD1/s1600/2014-01-14+11.24.58.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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I took this photo back in January (probably after a CSA box </div>
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or a trip to the Farmer's Market since there's so much on there).</div>
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I have always hated losing produce. It's such a waste, not only of the food itself, but of everything it took to grow that food.<br />
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I recently watched this TED talk by Leyla Acaroglu called <i>Paper beats plastic? How to rethink environmental folklore.</i> I think all 18 minutes are worthwhile. I've watched it twice.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2L4B-Vpvx1A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Toward the beginning of the talk, Acaroglu points out that biodegradability is "a material property, not a definition of environmental benefit." That got me slowly nodding my head. She went on:<br />
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When something natural [like food waste or paper] ends up in the natural environment, it degrades normally. Its little carbon molecules that it's stored up as it was growing are naturally released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. But this is a net situation. Most natural things don't actually end up in nature. Most of the waste that we produce ends up in landfill. Landfill is a different environment. In landfill, those same carbon molecules degrade in a different way because a landfill is anaerobic. It's got no oxygen. It's tightly compacted and hot. <b><i>Those same molecules, they become methane, and methane is a 25x more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.</i></b> So our old lettuces and products that we have thrown out that are made out of biodegradable materials, if they end up in landfill, contribute to climate change.</blockquote>
Whoa, what? When I throw the soggy lettuce in the trash, it's destiny is <i>methane?</i> When I toss a piece of <i>paper</i> in the trash, it's destiny is probably <i>methane??</i> Why did this never occur to me?<br />
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Realizing this actually made me glad about two things.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">First</span></b>, that we compost, which means that this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_i7XDqVarc7aSLvnKYKjfg4gwfIprxg2WTyVcUl_r2XdOlxA0zpeedXSthnr7hmx5ub0JbaM9PApAX5uDgDNjSfMKP3uCxdikmO86aQjsjNpxjeQBtXmeyTc5HpeRNFs1PkjDn5j09Bi/s1600/IMG_20140427_133655299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_i7XDqVarc7aSLvnKYKjfg4gwfIprxg2WTyVcUl_r2XdOlxA0zpeedXSthnr7hmx5ub0JbaM9PApAX5uDgDNjSfMKP3uCxdikmO86aQjsjNpxjeQBtXmeyTc5HpeRNFs1PkjDn5j09Bi/s1600/IMG_20140427_133655299.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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turns into this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99vhL5dNkJGPKwUC9_ErwSbDECVtumef5vWtxfdW24yJfjX7nVesMmHIl-kB7IuvZtOD1e9FHH6OP_BdWMO6wZa_gSKRaoUH5XeP67MTnkaYp2qnum58a1st_uUe9pjWeKKGFcdZC7mn0/s1600/IMG_20140428_222829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99vhL5dNkJGPKwUC9_ErwSbDECVtumef5vWtxfdW24yJfjX7nVesMmHIl-kB7IuvZtOD1e9FHH6OP_BdWMO6wZa_gSKRaoUH5XeP67MTnkaYp2qnum58a1st_uUe9pjWeKKGFcdZC7mn0/s1600/IMG_20140428_222829.JPG" height="274" width="320" /></a></div>
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We use it to enrich the soil and feed the earthworms. :)</div>
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However, when the compost tumbler is a-tumbling, I don't add anything to it for several weeks (which is why having <i>two</i> would be awesome). So, <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">second</span></b>, when I can't add my biodegradables to the composter, I typically toss them behind these lovely bushes in the front yard. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibmvv8nt7SBvC1ZMvExKRDo4BPjb-Z09w7TxXL2HTg46OLSloKvGthtIpyw8UhrRUe_Gja0yA6_sjhQeIDcBmFjDXZ1tUWBCEoYwoESKiRgDWt92eNfIo3JVo-mecAH4FIX-W5LqN8DzH/s1600/IMG_20140428_223022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibmvv8nt7SBvC1ZMvExKRDo4BPjb-Z09w7TxXL2HTg46OLSloKvGthtIpyw8UhrRUe_Gja0yA6_sjhQeIDcBmFjDXZ1tUWBCEoYwoESKiRgDWt92eNfIo3JVo-mecAH4FIX-W5LqN8DzH/s1600/IMG_20140428_223022.JPG" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a close-up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Uh0RVCR7KzwnW3iALh4kV-UYuuBejlD0n3XJsfnppqCrwdxsdlAfn7jMR-zvlKKQ4Dou8RLs2hiwweXmtZN5j0o304nvz4lYwNfkyII_D1BbBnHf7-DBrp0sG_3OmbbXH5j3D0CzzdaF/s1600/IMG_20140428_222921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Uh0RVCR7KzwnW3iALh4kV-UYuuBejlD0n3XJsfnppqCrwdxsdlAfn7jMR-zvlKKQ4Dou8RLs2hiwweXmtZN5j0o304nvz4lYwNfkyII_D1BbBnHf7-DBrp0sG_3OmbbXH5j3D0CzzdaF/s1600/IMG_20140428_222921.JPG" height="255" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I started doing this over a year ago, I figured that even though I couldn't use the compost how I'd like, I was still feeding the earth. Something beautiful will grow there some day.<br />
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I'm happy to have another way to <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/04/everyday-ways-we-care-for-earth.html" target="_blank">care for the earth</a> in my arsenal, and a good reason for doing so!<br />
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<i>If composting isn't an option for you at the moment, is there somewhere else you can toss those kitchen scraps so they don't wind up in a landfill? </i>If you don't have a yard, you could always add your scraps to broth or soups to get more life out of them. I bought an eBook bundle once that included one called <a href="http://anappleadaywisdom.com/dontcompostitcookitebook/" target="_blank">Don't Compost It, Cook It</a>. I haven't read it thoroughly, but the the author has some good ideas for getting as much mileage as possible out of your food.<br />
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<i>How do you avoid losing produce? How do you make use of any peelings and trimmings?</i>Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-4547108702645965112014-04-21T18:19:00.000-07:002014-04-21T21:42:16.559-07:00Children's Books for Loving the Earth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the months, we have discovered a number of children's books (mostly from the library) that have enhanced our love for the earth and our determination to take good care of it. Here are some of our favorites, just in time for Earth Day tomorrow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Please share the books you and your kids love!</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://p.gr-assets.com/max_square/fill/books/1350817445/143984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://p.gr-assets.com/max_square/fill/books/1350817445/143984.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Uno's Garden </span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Graeme Base<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Uno watches his beloved forest home slowly transform into a booming metropolis. As the populous grows, the unique indigenous creatures decline. What can be done to save them? Filled with imaginative beauty typical of Graeme Base, this book is also full of fun arithmetic and a wonderful message about the importance of keeping balance with nature.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://store.barefootbooks.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/540x425/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/b/f/bfbofearthtales_hc_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://store.barefootbooks.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/540x425/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/b/f/bfbofearthtales_hc_w.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales </b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Dawn Casey and Anne Wilson</b><br />This is a beautiful collection of tales from seven diverse countries. The colorful, captivating writing brought me to the edge of tears several times, but my little boys loved them, too! Along with each story is an activity relating in some way to the culture (e.g. make a cornhusk doll, build a willow den, make a mini water garden).</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue30/Earth_Mother_(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue30/Earth_Mother_(1).JPG" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Earth Mother </b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon</b><br />In this light-hearted story, Earth Mother goes about ornamenting and caring for the earth in beautiful dress. During her travels, she receives both the thanks and complaints of a toiling man, a frog, and a mosquito, all of whom have insights to gain about the circle of life.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www2.friendsbalt.org/faculty/lis/SPICES/riverranwild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www2.friendsbalt.org/faculty/lis/SPICES/riverranwild.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A River Ran Wild </b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Lynne Cherry</b><br />This book chronicles the history of the Nashua River in Massachusetts, from the first native settlers to the industrial revolution, which saw factories crop up along it's banks, filling the river with toxic waste. One woman spearheaded a great effort to return the river to its pristine state. (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Incidentally, we recently finished reading the original Boxcar Children books, and one of the books, "Bus Station Mystery," told a <i>very</i> similar story, but without any proper names. It was written around the time of the big cleanup and in the same part of the country, so maybe the Nashua inspired her, too.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGfYGSIXYP9t4oXxkSNmqTY6uxjDtU0t7pr5_AL-3NeXTYsQCcVPrJnjO9NGFN7rRbv_fidjJ60mtq23E9r2K5Et6OwKsG7JX5wRIikIwnNE3WRp7MgAc9rW2cADLyNPk151FSSUvEO0/s1600/all-the-water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGfYGSIXYP9t4oXxkSNmqTY6uxjDtU0t7pr5_AL-3NeXTYsQCcVPrJnjO9NGFN7rRbv_fidjJ60mtq23E9r2K5Et6OwKsG7JX5wRIikIwnNE3WRp7MgAc9rW2cADLyNPk151FSSUvEO0/s1600/all-the-water.jpg" height="320" width="274" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>All the Water in the World </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson</b><br />A lovely, lyrical presentation of the water cycle.</span><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/613mH+YNVrL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/613mH+YNVrL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Illustrated with watercolored papercuttings, this version of St. Francis of Assisi's famous prayer lends a sweet and strong reminder that God loves his creations and we should, too! </span></div>
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<a href="http://fun.familyeducation.com/images/The_Curious_Garden_H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fun.familyeducation.com/images/The_Curious_Garden_H.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Curious Garden </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Peter Brown</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing up in a city with no plant life, a young boy discovers some dying plants growing along an abandoned railroad track, and decides to take care of them. As his plants begin to spread, so does his passion to cultivate.</span></div>
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61KYWGSCQ5L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61KYWGSCQ5L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>City Green </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan</b><br />A little girl inspires her neighbors to join with her in transforming the old, city-owned, junk-filled lot next to her apartment building into a thriving garden. Besides changing the ugly lot, their efforts also change a heart or two.</span></div>
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<a href="http://allanbecker-gardenguru.squarespace.com/storage/secrets%20of%20the%20garden.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1363133022651" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://allanbecker-gardenguru.squarespace.com/storage/secrets%20of%20the%20garden.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1363133022651" height="257" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, illustrated by Priscilla Lamont</b><br />This was a fun read about the ins and outs of raising a family garden, including planning, planting, composting, handling pests, and preserving the bounty. Lots of extra information (provided by chickens) includes a helpful discussion on the food web.</span></div>
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<a href="http://isbn.abebooks.com/mz/06/15/0152168206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://isbn.abebooks.com/mz/06/15/0152168206.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Market Day </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Lois Ehlert</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One farmer family takes a day trip to sell their produce at the market. The illustrations are compilations of folk art from all over the world. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DMKWoyUhqvFh-xdv5s20nuo_bd7dDwDRmShvDoQjAr-x_uK3b-iiC1uV48ZHS0ZbiBhCMlzYWaD2IgsBlTGh-YfyyjHWtcEJGBlYgwloP8BIpXRNCYSBaTv2WWR0kBSj-6uOrL1PfIwL/s1600/To+Market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DMKWoyUhqvFh-xdv5s20nuo_bd7dDwDRmShvDoQjAr-x_uK3b-iiC1uV48ZHS0ZbiBhCMlzYWaD2IgsBlTGh-YfyyjHWtcEJGBlYgwloP8BIpXRNCYSBaTv2WWR0kBSj-6uOrL1PfIwL/s1600/To+Market.jpg" height="308" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>To Market, to Market </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Nikki McClure</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the perspective of a boy attending attending his local farmer's market with his family, we meet many of the market vendors and learn about the efforts they make to produce their wares.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGfYLqb3yPq6ZaeVm_Jn6J6HHUG85vhOAV4JdviZ05GR2oxQkAhmLv8o5PVLM13qF548b0BwFdEgRIibhZYPIluI__J2YFrfRhPZlohybMO-dMw1rKGD8B4u5OH8R_5xIzC2uF-eFuwMY/s1600/brother.eagle.sister.sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGfYLqb3yPq6ZaeVm_Jn6J6HHUG85vhOAV4JdviZ05GR2oxQkAhmLv8o5PVLM13qF548b0BwFdEgRIibhZYPIluI__J2YFrfRhPZlohybMO-dMw1rKGD8B4u5OH8R_5xIzC2uF-eFuwMY/s1600/brother.eagle.sister.sky.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Brother Eagle Sister Sky </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">by Susan Jeffers</b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">Though the origin of this book is controversial (purportedly from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Seattle" target="_blank">speech</a> by American Indian Chief Seattle), the message about respecting the interconnected web of life is a good one! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thegardenerseden.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Tiny-Seed-by-Eric-Carle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thegardenerseden.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Tiny-Seed-by-Eric-Carle.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Tiny Seed </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Eric Carle</b></span></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a nice story about the life cycle of a seed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">One adventurous seed starts out tinier than the others, but in the end grows tallest of all. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wQDHpz27BUf4jnM2pHIGjnHu7DbXoBzJKqrGdhM5rDJ55jEB2NAO4O9y4KZghCuLHtcncjN2gUfLCCNRvxf7b7XcL6tv6yuTf5EWvyLe31XaRZ3_G8vY811moWxldPn8btCpc7UsIscv/s1600/apple+pie+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wQDHpz27BUf4jnM2pHIGjnHu7DbXoBzJKqrGdhM5rDJ55jEB2NAO4O9y4KZghCuLHtcncjN2gUfLCCNRvxf7b7XcL6tv6yuTf5EWvyLe31XaRZ3_G8vY811moWxldPn8btCpc7UsIscv/s1600/apple+pie+tree.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Apple Pie Tree </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Zoe Hall, illustrated by Shari Halpern</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two little girls watch the evolution of their family apple tree from bare-branch winter to autumn harvest.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://covers.booktopia.com.au/big/9780698400405/a-promise-is-a-promise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://covers.booktopia.com.au/big/9780698400405/a-promise-is-a-promise.jpg" height="320" width="258" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A Promise is a Promise </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Eve Tharlet</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little marmot becomes best friends with a dandelion, who eventually asks the marmot to blow her seeds to the wind, and trust that everything will be okay. After a lot of worry and a good hibernation, he awakes to a beautiful surprise. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Anno's Magic Seeds </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Mitsumasa Anno</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wizard gives Jack two magic seeds. He tells him to eat one and bury the other, promising that it will produce two more in the fall. A mathematical story of the miraculous multiplying and saving potential hidden in every little seed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIaKQjk59KXg9c1tI-44nbaGgy2b1yMAAWCxOFsvvHSGlqPQ9_OPCO-YE-js6Gzu5yJU0f9abPvUi39J6_x1bqPyLZd4gAi99udtUtSjRv29-LAK1DJjdezmpsDU8vqyJUZoqa2Bn8s54/s640/4010047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIaKQjk59KXg9c1tI-44nbaGgy2b1yMAAWCxOFsvvHSGlqPQ9_OPCO-YE-js6Gzu5yJU0f9abPvUi39J6_x1bqPyLZd4gAi99udtUtSjRv29-LAK1DJjdezmpsDU8vqyJUZoqa2Bn8s54/s640/4010047.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Wangari's Trees of Peace</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">by Jeanette Winter</b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">After completing her studies abroad, Wangari Maathai returns to her native Kenya to find many of the old forests destroyed. Beginning in her own backyard, she begins planting trees, eventually persuading other women of her town and country to assist in the efforts. They plant 30 million trees. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blackartblog.blackartdepot.com/pics/mama-miti-donna-jo-napoli-kadir-nelson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://blackartblog.blackartdepot.com/pics/mama-miti-donna-jo-napoli-kadir-nelson.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mama Miti </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Kadir Nelson</b><br />Another take on Wangari, this book shows in dazzling illustration her confident response to the variety of problems coming from women all over Kenya: "Plant a tree!" </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Aside: in 2004 Wangari received the Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace. I read <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai" target="_blank">her bio</a> on wikipedia and was amazed at her life! There are many earth-lovers who have made similar efforts and sacrifices. You might enjoy learning about:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Muir</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rachel Carson<br />Jacques Cousteau<br />Gaylord Nelson<br /><i>And many more, I'm sure!</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few more books that are either educational (without a storyline) or compilations of earth-centered activities. You might like:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://onehen.opportunity.org/bookclub/books/1854_cv3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://onehen.opportunity.org/bookclub/books/1854_cv3.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>One Well: the Story of Water on Earth </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Rochelle Strauss, illustrated by Rosemary Woods</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earth's water supply is essentially one big well. This book talks all about water: the water cycle, our collective need for water, access to water, water pollution, and becoming "well aware."</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ourtimeinjuvie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Whats-So-Special-About-Planet-Earth-by-Robert-E.-Wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ourtimeinjuvie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Whats-So-Special-About-Planet-Earth-by-Robert-E.-Wells.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>What's So Special About Planet Earth? </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Robert E. Wells</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This book encourages kids to value our world by taking a look at how it is suited uniquely for us. At the end he shares some ideas for conserving resources and using energy wisely.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Best Kids Love-the-Earth Activity Book </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This is a terrific compilation of ideas for understanding and exploring the earth. Here is just a smattering from this book: design a nature collage, pound a leaf into fabric, make sun tea, make fresh water from salt water, make wind-powered music, make a bird hangout, host a party for the planet, dye earth-friendly easter eggs (which I tried this year, though not from this book), and LOTS of ideas for reusing various materials.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://cd.pbsstatic.com/xl/67/2867/9780789412867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cd.pbsstatic.com/xl/67/2867/9780789412867.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="235" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>My First Green Book: A Life-Size Guide to Caring for our Environment </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Angela Wilkes</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though a little old-school, this book has some good stuff. It includes information on an array of subjects ranging from waste disposal to the rain forest and features activities such as testing your own water and soil, making a water filter, creating a wildlife garden, and campaigning for change.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCxSZXi0a0Q3GoE3oCvKju3gA8FkpOyvGimIJUGrWqhd6QzSRHKfH0CUDDRRyzSFBiIsCZBey-przOHlQloi4n6ShqIQHWKin-vxpT0U7IhUh9FGOQFP1p5V9cXRyK6-Ym1FxZm2I30A/s1600/51mUo0g7KcL%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCxSZXi0a0Q3GoE3oCvKju3gA8FkpOyvGimIJUGrWqhd6QzSRHKfH0CUDDRRyzSFBiIsCZBey-przOHlQloi4n6ShqIQHWKin-vxpT0U7IhUh9FGOQFP1p5V9cXRyK6-Ym1FxZm2I30A/s1600/51mUo0g7KcL%255B1%255D.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Love Your World: How to Take Care of the Plants, the Animals, and the Planet </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Dawn Sirett</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This was a favorite for my kids.<b> </b>It contains lots of colorful pictures and little poems about loving and caring for the earth, encouraging kids to make a difference!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HAPPY EARTH DAY!!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(You can celebrate Earth Day as long as you want.)</span></div>
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Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-13925901774955234452014-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:002014-04-17T05:00:01.286-07:00Creativity, Part 2: Drawing, Painting, Typography<i>Part 2 of my Creativity posts is by my cousin-in-law, and dear friend, Anna Peterson. She is a wonderful artist (as you will see), and a very insightful, gentle and beautiful person. Here is what she had to say about the creative process:</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMjjBq2VyCOHAPRh-RgaAK7QehV4ma7kWavrHamVidrvPzkmpy4rMYPr3qxLcJ8jy0CU6ELT8gpNSPQDURfEri22wasmeFWHk1ycgCsBw2kRCe7GM0rigPYiAQ6JTfIw62dXVfGWSKKp1/s1600/DSC_0831-2+Color+5+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMjjBq2VyCOHAPRh-RgaAK7QehV4ma7kWavrHamVidrvPzkmpy4rMYPr3qxLcJ8jy0CU6ELT8gpNSPQDURfEri22wasmeFWHk1ycgCsBw2kRCe7GM0rigPYiAQ6JTfIw62dXVfGWSKKp1/s1600/DSC_0831-2+Color+5+copy.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Self-Portrait of Anna</td></tr>
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I am so happy to be sharing some of my thoughts today on creativity and inspiration! These are things that make my heart sing and energize my soul. There just isn’t anything quite like that moment when I watch a likeness become realized on my canvas, or when I discover a new favorite artist. Despite the thrill and beauty of creating art, over time I have experienced my fair share of anxiety, fear, and worry over how to begin a new project or series. There are a few things I’ve figured out that have helped me, and I want to share them with you! These are some ways that help me to engender creativity and productivity.<br />
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“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” –Arthur Ashe</h4>
That blank, white canvas is sometimes terrifying. Remembering this quote helps me to calm down and to maintain perspective. It causes me to look around me, to think about the real talents or ideas or resources that I have to draw from when beginning a project, and to have proper expectations for the timetable of its completion, and the quality of the results.<br />
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Claim a space for your creativity.</h4>
As a mother, I often have to drop what I’m doing at a moments notice, not knowing when I’ll have another minute to start again. Having my own space means I can leave things out so I can jump right in whenever I can. Having to clean off the kitchen table every afternoon before dinner takes precious time away and means I have to pull it all out again. Make your creativity a priority by giving yourself the room, convenience and resources you need.<br />
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Research, research, research.</h4>
Looking at lots of images or reading different styles of writing helps you to figure out what your tastes are, and gives you direction for your work. It also helps you to refine your taste as you pick up on things and learn from other creatives around you. Just as scientists shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel, learn what’s out there so you can contribute to the world. If you’re in a rut, pull up Pinterest, your favorite blog, or work from a creative person you look up to. I personally love Pinterest because it allows me to organize my inspirations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hUMiCUSdjrvlrg1cPgw0I2MR4DgJVuzTm3pkqQKi-6rBkETcU3APeurF2zd6BdSBTHQmB12WDKlV_mp3GYKhRVs2GdLZeKdJAu71LZtXx3SOiz3dNCVNuglD5Ouv6Wql_P7Nv7Z_uvM0/s1600/1622117_10153966819710274_1180162990_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hUMiCUSdjrvlrg1cPgw0I2MR4DgJVuzTm3pkqQKi-6rBkETcU3APeurF2zd6BdSBTHQmB12WDKlV_mp3GYKhRVs2GdLZeKdJAu71LZtXx3SOiz3dNCVNuglD5Ouv6Wql_P7Nv7Z_uvM0/s1600/1622117_10153966819710274_1180162990_n.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Create now, curate later.</h4>
Try to not worry about something being perfect. Just start with something that makes you excited, and see what comes out at the end. To help you start, set a goal for a certain amount of time you’ll spend each day or a target number of completed projects you want to do. After you’ve made a bunch of things, look them over and exercise quality control then. You can’t always be on your A game. Throw out the things that you aren’t proud of and admire the wonderful work you’ve made and want to frame. I often have to do this with my work. It is so much better to have made something and not have it turn out than to worry and worry and never begin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjieSAAhzRUkI64ABl1I7xGmDf-7a9Wrhe7HLMVDE3Ctyn0sU8PEpK9bkqGc8YnQAPONJI3MKjIpDcrqfb-bJJXt7Kiife8eqCEAAFVWBtgRiElXdEqJ2l58rMbWFyS8p6A1y93W5CziG/s1600/1488917_10153836995990274_1176130435_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjieSAAhzRUkI64ABl1I7xGmDf-7a9Wrhe7HLMVDE3Ctyn0sU8PEpK9bkqGc8YnQAPONJI3MKjIpDcrqfb-bJJXt7Kiife8eqCEAAFVWBtgRiElXdEqJ2l58rMbWFyS8p6A1y93W5CziG/s1600/1488917_10153836995990274_1176130435_n.jpeg" /></a></div>
I hope some of these things I’ve learned over the years can help you on your creative journey! Remember, the people you admire have worked hard to get where they are, and if you research, produce lots of work, and maintain perspective, you will be amazed at the beautiful things that come out of you!<br />
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To see what I’m up to and what I’m working on, follow me here on Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/annabelle_peterson">http://instagram.com/annabelle_peterson</a><br />
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Andrew and Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14085200350294688329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-6288017502566671202014-04-15T09:56:00.002-07:002014-04-15T09:56:41.978-07:00Missing MicrobesI haven't read the book yet, although I am very inclined.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKlx8Vjjp1wszQTXsx3mnayJidZpxTh-tjmtx1azX4v7fRMHZcmiCPZL_g37mllnpxewY6Y-N_rRwBJYHsgAH7xCmA585LFO6MkpowOV2CkFUtO0rIXGMSiSoZFB0sKvDg-zmmBz-B6dB/s1600/51JdjIvKDDL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKlx8Vjjp1wszQTXsx3mnayJidZpxTh-tjmtx1azX4v7fRMHZcmiCPZL_g37mllnpxewY6Y-N_rRwBJYHsgAH7xCmA585LFO6MkpowOV2CkFUtO0rIXGMSiSoZFB0sKvDg-zmmBz-B6dB/s1600/51JdjIvKDDL.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can find it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Microbes-Overuse-Antibiotics-Fueling/dp/0805098100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397580716&sr=8-1&keywords=missing+microbes">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/04/14/302899093/modern-medicine-may-not-be-doing-your-microbiome-any-favors">here</a> is an NPR interview of the book's author that I found very refreshing. On April 14th, Terry Gross interviewed Dr. Martin Blaser, the director of NYU's Human Microbiome Program.<br />
<br />
Dr. Blaser talks about the human microbiome --- the complex ecological community of microorganisms that live in our bodies and impact all aspects of our health. We are only beginning to understand the function of many of them, but alarmingly, thanks to our modern life, many of them are already endangered.<br />
<br />
Here is an excerpt from the interview:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Since World War II, we've seen big rises in a number of diseases:
asthma, allergies, food allergies, wheat allergy, juvenile diabetes,
obesity. ... These are all diseases that have gone up dramatically in
the last 50 or 70 years. One of the questions is: Why are they going up?
Are they going up for 10 different reasons, or perhaps there is one
reason that is fueling all of them. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
My theory is that the one
reason is the changing microbiome; that we evolved a certain stable
situation with our microbiome and with the modern advances of modern
life, including modern medical practices, we have been disrupting the
microbiome. And there's evidence for that, especially early in life, and
it's changing how our children develop."</div>
</blockquote>
This made me glad that we<br />
<ul>
<li>Avoid antibiotics unless there are no safe alternatives (Peter has never had any, and Cam and I haven't in our adult years)</li>
<li>Avoid harmful chemicals in all home and body products, not to mention food!</li>
<li>Consume raw dairy and other raw foods daily</li>
</ul>
This made me want to<br />
<ul>
<li>Get on the fermentation bandwagon! I think my family needs to consume more probiotics.</li>
<li>Continue providing labor support and education to women in my area, to reduce the incidence of unnecessary cesarean births. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Camerzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10093031221239385958noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-71559897799987450172014-04-08T09:14:00.000-07:002014-04-08T10:42:02.485-07:00"I Love You," and "I'm Sorry."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyaNgsQ-N9wCh4RHMApKWMJ5WZmyl7AkZCtPYhQGpENNJOVB7jcoGbvK-hg6nC8GrSvnIR_ItACuA1RBt4Q_qrC1ztlPpFzaP0zi3TNFo0TX7BzK2CYEImqzGjRapXeuDWkwvhzcuso7U/s1600/mQvd1qw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyaNgsQ-N9wCh4RHMApKWMJ5WZmyl7AkZCtPYhQGpENNJOVB7jcoGbvK-hg6nC8GrSvnIR_ItACuA1RBt4Q_qrC1ztlPpFzaP0zi3TNFo0TX7BzK2CYEImqzGjRapXeuDWkwvhzcuso7U/s1600/mQvd1qw.jpg" height="121" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Once, early in our marriage, my husband and I did a <a href="https://www.lds.org/topics/family-home-evening">Family Home Evening</a> activity in which we each wrote down ten things we loved about the other person. I realized that something about my husband's list, which was very nice and should have made me feel great, left me unsatisfied. It took me a day or two to process it, but then I realized why. By no fault of his own, his list had only included the things that I <i>do</i>, without listing any of the things that I <i>am</i>. My list had been similarly oriented:<br />
<ul>
<li>I love you because you take initiative whenever you see something that needs to be cleaned up or fixed around the house.</li>
<li>I love you because you work so hard at your job.</li>
<li>I love you because you spend time outdoors every day.</li>
<li>I love you because you make time for me even when we are both busy.</li>
<li>I love you because you never raise your voice to me. </li>
</ul>
Those are all wonderful things! But a list like that can end up feeling kind of impersonal. Compare to these statements:<br />
<ul>
<li>I love you because you are diligent and efficient.</li>
<li>I love you because you are adventurous.</li>
<li>I love you because you are easy to talk to.</li>
<li>I love you because you are believing.</li>
<li>I love you because you are kind and generous.</li>
</ul>
We talked about it later, and he agreed with me that both kinds of expression are important.<br />
<br />
My toddler and I enjoy most any Sandra Boynton book. One of them, <i>Snuggle Puppy</i>, has a fun little poem that a mother dog sings to her puppy:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, I have a thing to tell you and it won't take long.<br />
The way I feel about you is a kind of a song.<br />
It starts with an ooh, and ends with a kiss<br />
And all along the middle it goes something like this:<br />
<br />
It goes ooh! Snuggle Puppy of mine,<br />
Everything about you is especially fine.<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>I love what you are.<br />
I love what you do.</b></span><br />
Fuzzy little Snuggle Puppy,<br />
I love you.</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEbD__njKfGQwsDD8Iy3A0SFAwAkVn2PhKHgHZHg2QiV9P_HKdgAs_EDVfgT0EX2HPzNmy6-B93YSGZ2s-ZqJaTDNjUoiJQzrotTvuHCBcIa707doxyomKK8iZ6Ea0M5Lq-B-ofFo8KPE/s1600/snugglepuppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEbD__njKfGQwsDD8Iy3A0SFAwAkVn2PhKHgHZHg2QiV9P_HKdgAs_EDVfgT0EX2HPzNmy6-B93YSGZ2s-ZqJaTDNjUoiJQzrotTvuHCBcIa707doxyomKK8iZ6Ea0M5Lq-B-ofFo8KPE/s1600/snugglepuppy.jpg" height="200" width="175" /> </a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Maybe everyone else already gets this. But for me, I learned an important lesson to verbalize my love in both ways: <i>I love what you <u><b>are</b></u>, I love what you <u><b>do</b></u>!</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And on a different note: <a href="http://www.cuppacocoa.com/a-better-way-to-say-sorry/">here</a> is an article I read today on how to teach children to say sorry. I really liked what the author had to say. Children (and all of us) should follow an outline like this:</div>
<ol style="margin-left: 200px;">
<li><i>I'm sorry that I...</i></li>
<li><i>This is wrong because...</i></li>
<li><i>In the future I will...</i></li>
<li><i>Will you forgive me? </i> </li>
</ol>
Camerzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10093031221239385958noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-14195263018569404532014-04-06T23:54:00.001-07:002014-04-07T00:04:00.653-07:00Start Planning Easter!Easter is right around the corner. With it comes great potential for deepening your family's relationship with Jesus Christ and better understanding his great mission.<br />
<br />
Last year I wrote <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/03/activities-for-christ-centered-easter.html" target="_blank">a review</a> of a fabulous guide for celebrating a Christ-centered Easter. If you haven't already, you might consider purchasing the book* for the upcoming Holy Week. (I included several ideas from the book in the original <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/03/activities-for-christ-centered-easter.html" target="_blank">post</a>.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn1.deseretbook.com/images/product-images/12/69321/Christ_Centered_Easter_detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn1.deseretbook.com/images/product-images/12/69321/Christ_Centered_Easter_detail.jpg" height="400" width="311" /></a></div>
<br />
Even with last-minute planning and a husband out of town, I was able to try many of the ideas and activities with my young sons last year. We all enjoyed it and felt closer to each other and to our Savior. We read scriptures, stories, discussed the events of each day of the week, learned about the customs and rituals of the Jews, listened to sacred music, acted out events and parables, made the food of the time, and even had delicious sole and honeycomb for our simple Easter dinner (which I liked preparing<i> so </i>much more than the leg of lamb I did a previous year!). Yet we barely scratched the surface of this book.<br />
<br />
What about conventional Easter celebrations? We completely left them out (my kids had never heard of the Easter bunny, so they weren't left wondering). Our week involved so many interesting activities, I don't feel we missed out. This year we might color eggs and have a basket hunt on Saturday the 12th (the day before Palm Sunday) as a celebration of spring and precursor to the true Easter festivities. (I like the idea of doing this on the first day of spring, but we were out of town that week and couldn't swing it.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZGjgCnBRKitrHFShhw-zr_5H5wCZIb_LlFy9gZMbNhXM87my83WCAoFuEmyQIwKD7ForNXG57mE7Uu4E0Tx0zUSctUNeCLtcc_2yJnfv23YtKRkm6ZRmxocseH5lJwXosyUv2JhxRCJB/s1600/2013-03-28+15.55.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZGjgCnBRKitrHFShhw-zr_5H5wCZIb_LlFy9gZMbNhXM87my83WCAoFuEmyQIwKD7ForNXG57mE7Uu4E0Tx0zUSctUNeCLtcc_2yJnfv23YtKRkm6ZRmxocseH5lJwXosyUv2JhxRCJB/s1600/2013-03-28+15.55.06.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making unleavened bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After the holiday last year, I followed up with the author about the book review post, and she shared a few other ideas they have implemented since publishing their book. From Janet Hales:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="p1">
How did your Easter turn out? Easter day is my favorite -- the compilation of everything we have done and thought of during the week. We have added two things to our family worship that have been very significant for me: on Saturday, those who can, attend the Temple, to help in the vicarious work now afforded us. This is such a meaningful activity to me. On Sunday, those who wish give an "Easter Offering" they have been independently working on throughout the week. One year I wrote a Psalm of praise, this year it was free verse about Living Water; Joe wrote a lovely piece about "Why Is this Night different than all other nights?" (A question from the script of the Passover Dinner), Kate sang "I Stand All Amazed." Years ago, one of our young boys had made an "empty tomb" out of Lego. This was really a reverent and beautiful part of our ending devotional this year. </div>
</blockquote>
The book contains such an abundance that you'll already have to pick and choose, but you might also find yourself thinking of things on your own. Whatever you do, make a plan ahead of time that will work for your family and above all, enjoy this beautiful Easter season! Please share how it turns out.<br />
<br />
*No, I'm not getting any kickbacks. ;)Noniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111771975489135772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-55159513162634554022014-04-01T07:34:00.003-07:002014-04-01T07:40:55.849-07:00My Little Thing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So you know we don't use <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/08/on-foot-or-on-floor.html">couches or chairs</a> in our house, and you know <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2013/05/sit-if-you-must-then-squat-stand-swing.html">why</a>. You know we wear <a href="http://ourdailylegacy.blogspot.com/2012/01/free-at-last.html">funny shoes</a> (or often none at all. I need to write a follow-up post on my shoe wardrobe 3 years later.)<br />
<br />
You probably think, "<i>man </i>this is a girl who lives her truth."<br />
<br />
Ha! Gotcha.<br />
<br />
I really let "things" get in the way of doing the important stuff. Like my little "thing," Peter, who interfered so much with doing my exercises every morning that I didn't do them regularly... for like a year. Even though I <i>knew </i>how much they had revolutionized my postpartum life. (Another post another time on my experience working with Restorative Exercise specialist and PT <a href="http://www.alignintegrationandmovement.com/">Susan McLaughlin</a>, and on reading <a href="http://www.katysays.com/">Katy Bowman's blog</a>. Though you've heard about them in the above-linked posts).<br />
<br />
Well last week I decided Peter would no longer stop me! I made this time-lapse to prove it. (One photo per second.) Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2nnY5HwGi1A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">At second :22 notice the repeated double-kick in the face. I admit I cut my spinal twist short! </span></div>
<br /></div>
Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17708728462911793267noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-37989213000509703082014-03-26T14:02:00.002-07:002014-04-16T08:53:55.666-07:00Creativity Part 1: Music Writing, Photoshopping, & Movie Making<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been thinking a lot about creativity. There are so
many different ways to create—craft something by hand, doodle, write a song or
a poem, garden, design your home, cook, the possibilities are literally
limitless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet there are also so
many ways to consume what others have created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consuming is so much easier, especially with so much
available at the click of a mouse, or the drop of a couple of dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Entertainment is cheap, and creativity
takes real work. </div>
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At least for me, the hardest part is getting started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have asked a few wonderfully creative
people I know how they get started and find inspiration, and I’ll be sharing
their responses here over the next few weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This first post is by my wonderful, talented husband, Andrew. He is extremely creative, always making something: movies, doing photoshops, and for me the hardest--writing original songs. He writes me a completely original valentines song every year! I know how hard it is, because I tried last year to write him one--really tried, and it was a complete joke. Here are some of Andrew's thoughts on creativity.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">For me, creativity is a two-way street. Much of what I create, I do with the consumer of my creation in mind. Whether it's a Valentine's Day song for Ariel, a birthday photoshop for a sibling or a training module at work, it's often with the audience in mind. This audience can be as narrow as a specific person and as a broad as the Internets. I think meaningful creations should evoke emotion. When I am getting started with a big or small creative project, I ask myself the question: What emotion do I want to evoke with my creation? Love, joy, frivolity, peace, strength, nostalgia, excitement? The expected emotion then propels the craft. </span>From there a story will swirl through an image, a melody, an idea. I try to infuse that emotion into the creation with the hope that the consumer can experience shared emotion. Though to be clear, I don't necessarily want to dictate what the consumer feels, but it helps me get started to have something that I want to project in mind. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>Creativity has great effect when the creation evokes emotion through story. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i>
Below are some examples of his handiwork.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJOOapdZ0haHMRu9gcIZIyohkg0DdupapRhjK-_uZOxx5lNKPvopC8OdQZb7czD4q1owI575nLo7cx9CsRkoDpIgaIg0VLw49PR_0g3XNwKkNw6UztVyEYfJhpv2kWDCAQKukU3TzKhv7/s1600/Scrams20!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJOOapdZ0haHMRu9gcIZIyohkg0DdupapRhjK-_uZOxx5lNKPvopC8OdQZb7czD4q1owI575nLo7cx9CsRkoDpIgaIg0VLw49PR_0g3XNwKkNw6UztVyEYfJhpv2kWDCAQKukU3TzKhv7/s1600/Scrams20!.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A birthday photoshop for a sister</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQvQluSsHFXvY_kulvigyDBfE2_WCOFv5BDx4oqTryrgfln1MMHpC1fuKrrGNFc0PRM2UnFlAmqXUhOOqJ-pKLr6qRVLHRKRilMukJWw4F7rKswB1M1aqv8V4QUj-MGArS2NLkUf6d2XN/s1600/AA+Team.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQvQluSsHFXvY_kulvigyDBfE2_WCOFv5BDx4oqTryrgfln1MMHpC1fuKrrGNFc0PRM2UnFlAmqXUhOOqJ-pKLr6qRVLHRKRilMukJWw4F7rKswB1M1aqv8V4QUj-MGArS2NLkUf6d2XN/s1600/AA+Team.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fun Christmas card to send to colleagues at work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And most impressive, here is a link to all of <i><a href="http://andrewmarshall1.bandcamp.com/album/symphonic-adoration-v-214">Andrew's Valentine's Day Songs</a>. </i>The 4th song is probably my favorite (though it's hard to choose!). It's a beautiful song he wrote after Abraham (our #1) was born, to tell the story of his birth in epic-song-fashion.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Here is a fun music video we made for one of the Valentine's Day songs (making movies has turned into a fun family tradition).</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tuWcTnQXlgA?rel=0" width="480"></iframe>
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Andrew and Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14085200350294688329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941947337186357092.post-26255684749507092342014-03-19T16:15:00.000-07:002014-03-19T17:47:31.922-07:0027 Terrific Children's Albums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbzicXJe59_-RdvTAX1yki8bMW01_Ygvjl0icCKqSyfpqqYdR2iMrMHPj5ZkeqCXnlPNHjL7MkDA90WMTS9x0VqVPCjizLUe1xVMHiFtlGqvyIZ0pdHIfaRMVno74t5IoN7sJ-_o-NiBv/s1600/albums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbzicXJe59_-RdvTAX1yki8bMW01_Ygvjl0icCKqSyfpqqYdR2iMrMHPj5ZkeqCXnlPNHjL7MkDA90WMTS9x0VqVPCjizLUe1xVMHiFtlGqvyIZ0pdHIfaRMVno74t5IoN7sJ-_o-NiBv/s1600/albums.jpg" height="400" width="373" /></a></div>
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It’s pretty safe to say that there’s a lot more good music for kids than there used to be.<br />
<br />
I have always turned on lots of diverse music for myself in the house, but when Abraham was three, I gave him his own little CD player, CDs, and a good tutorial about how to use it and treat CDs well. It has been great for him to feel ownership over CDs, and listen to what he wants to, when he wants. He now shares with his two younger siblings. They have a good, diverse collection, that they (and I) love!<br />
<br />
While there are a lot of great choices, there is also plenty of mindless, crazy, and just plain bad music. I feel about music the way I feel about food: if it’s not good enough for me, it’s not good enough for my kids. If they don’t learn to like the best now, how could I expect them to like it “when they grow up”? There’s plenty to choose from, so skip the junk. <br />
<br />
Here are our favorite 27 great children's albums.<br />
<h4>
Folk</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://youaremyflower.org/">Elizabeth Mitchell</a>--A wonderful folk children's artist, with lovely, mellow, and traditional songs. If you like her and her style, give her Pandora station a listen, and you will find lots of really great artists with a similar sound.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.raffinews.com/store/childrens-music/">Raffi</a>--Banana phone. 'Nuff said.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPz43PnohbDeMtu2NJiadoNKVhDoQwlIUVQePQ6HWvZmg-mhzMsavCwiI64cJjhEGOKZD8Q4rXFB530gO3xMfU_CLbdN8KNKWws8K52AdQ1ZRZT3m2nKVK2wj2qSYzIZhC4ui4INkJUPA/s1600/bananaphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPz43PnohbDeMtu2NJiadoNKVhDoQwlIUVQePQ6HWvZmg-mhzMsavCwiI64cJjhEGOKZD8Q4rXFB530gO3xMfU_CLbdN8KNKWws8K52AdQ1ZRZT3m2nKVK2wj2qSYzIZhC4ui4INkJUPA/s1600/bananaphone.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sing-A-Longs-Lullabies-Film-Curious-George/dp/B000CR7RDE">Jack Johnson--Curious George</a>--If you like Jack Johnson, this is quite a fun kid's CD. In fact, of his different CDs we have, this could be the best.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5R9oFY9EoUP_AjEFtZMwKExQUfIUBBl1ekbwiTgOxmc2RbXwFgI61Dk1cZfxvsWXsaYOoHGkEfpUkpe3S4T7pQWIMUQow0-XeHp_bMuzskUgVT7bACIuwMIuCM1R3w2BQF2UeDyabA4P/s1600/51KpHEw02IL._SY300__PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5R9oFY9EoUP_AjEFtZMwKExQUfIUBBl1ekbwiTgOxmc2RbXwFgI61Dk1cZfxvsWXsaYOoHGkEfpUkpe3S4T7pQWIMUQow0-XeHp_bMuzskUgVT7bACIuwMIuCM1R3w2BQF2UeDyabA4P/s1600/51KpHEw02IL._SY300__PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>John Denver—<a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Aboard-John-Denver/dp/B0000029ZZ">All Aboard</a>--A really fun, classic John Denver CD all about trains! Who could resist?</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50eGAHFc8Cly13b8X0eYrvgZDde9YEYjUVVCedOgk54BZeDk_yc7Sdr5vSxJFqbnAuN9LAA39T94UwNvW6W4wSN5S2sqQbkd1EP9IxmYSPv8lKTmWKbMApcHqA-OJTOU-0igJt8HThn9P/s1600/5151J9riX2L._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50eGAHFc8Cly13b8X0eYrvgZDde9YEYjUVVCedOgk54BZeDk_yc7Sdr5vSxJFqbnAuN9LAA39T94UwNvW6W4wSN5S2sqQbkd1EP9IxmYSPv8lKTmWKbMApcHqA-OJTOU-0igJt8HThn9P/s1600/5151J9riX2L._SY300_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Train-Songs-Studio-Group/dp/B0011KFXGO/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395253796&sr=1-2">Train Songs</a>--If you're into <i>train songs,</i> that's what this CD has! The whole CD is very vintage-sounding, and includes wonderful classics like "Drill Ye Tarriers," "Casey Jones," and "Down by the Station."</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLmIEX3fFnagQ0xv3SpcsRonLDewksdegaRCrjqF-ewsDKTY3yw4y_ObUsL_T7vO_weAkIwLvPDjFFVf2wEWyHpd8OJqw0cQZGEYiAoFetgdgB8gDa_73e21-3AxFUs3m4Ty9p5SaibSd/s1600/61+7Gl10hvL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLmIEX3fFnagQ0xv3SpcsRonLDewksdegaRCrjqF-ewsDKTY3yw4y_ObUsL_T7vO_weAkIwLvPDjFFVf2wEWyHpd8OJqw0cQZGEYiAoFetgdgB8gDa_73e21-3AxFUs3m4Ty9p5SaibSd/s1600/61+7Gl10hvL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<h4>
Classical & Other</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook?lang=eng">Children’s Songbook</a>--You can download all 285 LDS Children's Songbook songs for free! (Also in <a href="https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook?lang=eng&clang=spa">Spanish</a>, <a href="https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook?lang=eng&clang=por">Portuguese</a> and <a href="https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook?lang=eng&clang=fra">French</a>.)</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aSWVbE-xZS4zUOTSz8Z6GiUYjir5xEke3jZqLWxp0_Pa0bdVYLBGd0RRHqBSYSsc4WYVl-Qp02n4_ZA9QTV7ZGhsLjFK0RR_G10ZVAqmIauYn70aMcSFSt2fDNCqabIjOZ_7iqAEDMcj/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aSWVbE-xZS4zUOTSz8Z6GiUYjir5xEke3jZqLWxp0_Pa0bdVYLBGd0RRHqBSYSsc4WYVl-Qp02n4_ZA9QTV7ZGhsLjFK0RR_G10ZVAqmIauYn70aMcSFSt2fDNCqabIjOZ_7iqAEDMcj/s1600/imgres.jpg" height="170" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Musical-Fables-John-Rutter/dp/B0000DJKDL">Three Musical Fables with music by John Rutter</a>--This one has a lot of talking, but the stories (The Wind in the Willows, Brother Heinrich's Christmas, and The Reluctant Dragon) and accompanying music are lovely. They're great for quiet time.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfqctjwduPQu8SAK9Q_b7H29ZHkMmZ7FTSNP0e3rh2cDAx89AOMPekrnd-YcJDHGl10oIHklp1sDiYMW5kMaZx-3LjtvtxG6KllFUO7k0RoYN1xIIGYkKHj0rsPuQ0d2lt4PCVevqhM2N/s1600/51DR6PFRK7L._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfqctjwduPQu8SAK9Q_b7H29ZHkMmZ7FTSNP0e3rh2cDAx89AOMPekrnd-YcJDHGl10oIHklp1sDiYMW5kMaZx-3LjtvtxG6KllFUO7k0RoYN1xIIGYkKHj0rsPuQ0d2lt4PCVevqhM2N/s1600/51DR6PFRK7L._SY300_.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>King Singer’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Stuff-Kings-Singers/dp/B0000630Y0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395255939&sr=1-1&keywords=kids+king+singers">Kid Stuff</a>--The King Singers, Judi Dench & Mother Goose = triple-win combination. Probably my favorite CD on this list.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17cpC8zPe6rBqP-XgoT3P9Zc8AumaEKmO_8naYh9tKmdv6I-rU99-vdPii0QvDnxxGCqVs6Yibdsn-vh-Tou5wMrgB0WJPkjIA_zvs6Qgs6pACbBEiRDRnHZsbvPDGmx_hc9ZisUrlqmb/s1600/51Q108PPXKL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17cpC8zPe6rBqP-XgoT3P9Zc8AumaEKmO_8naYh9tKmdv6I-rU99-vdPii0QvDnxxGCqVs6Yibdsn-vh-Tou5wMrgB0WJPkjIA_zvs6Qgs6pACbBEiRDRnHZsbvPDGmx_hc9ZisUrlqmb/s1600/51Q108PPXKL.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Animals-London-Philharmonic-Orchestra/dp/B00A2WNAYY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395260104&sr=8-1&keywords=carnival+of+the+animals+ogden+nash">Carnival of the Animals</a>--This one is especially great because it has the Ogden Nash poems too. It's a really fun way for young kids to get excited about classical music.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo7R5_Qjtg3QAKRdfK2dOCiYC5K9nynGW6lKub43A12bzyBb0e1Y75cZ2GBI_vR5CgyqtlGa7azkjWevpJ24xtKPZ4lFtt_9MoPxBr1CLFlgthSruJRYRQDpg0FxamWuG0z_HX5bdUVpW/s1600/710Oth9cduL._SL1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo7R5_Qjtg3QAKRdfK2dOCiYC5K9nynGW6lKub43A12bzyBb0e1Y75cZ2GBI_vR5CgyqtlGa7azkjWevpJ24xtKPZ4lFtt_9MoPxBr1CLFlgthSruJRYRQDpg0FxamWuG0z_HX5bdUVpW/s1600/710Oth9cduL._SL1000_.jpg" height="180" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Peter-Wolf-Sergey/dp/B000HRME32/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395260540&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+and+the+wolf+narrated">Peter and the Wolf</a>--I don't have this version, but it seems well rated, and it has narration too! My boys love this story and the music.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRomyU4_oTQTkrMayW3TzwQaIWp54tu0IEiVGAS7qg7Sld9y1gE5gonKmsuIlMSgunZqkS0PCMnA3k8jiW8J0lT4r4C61b-7K8jRx_Dg8d797c-FVQOOsvniRe-EdZC2VxqlIED4BBKdzE/s1600/61S2HZ8Q7WL._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRomyU4_oTQTkrMayW3TzwQaIWp54tu0IEiVGAS7qg7Sld9y1gE5gonKmsuIlMSgunZqkS0PCMnA3k8jiW8J0lT4r4C61b-7K8jRx_Dg8d797c-FVQOOsvniRe-EdZC2VxqlIED4BBKdzE/s1600/61S2HZ8Q7WL._SY300_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<h4>
For Fun</h4>
This music is a little more for kids who are a little bit older and want more funny lyrics and a bit faster tempo.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Chapin/e/B000APCISC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1395261235&sr=1-1">Tom Chapin</a>--I grew up on this music, and in my opinion, his earlier music is better. Kids get a kick out of his lyrics, and he covers a variety of genres in each CD.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoZLKavEqtaG9qVkaSyX9exQfPh9_LesH8FB_fr0CijXnl0y-dH_wwdkfzCRKBdRcy-wk-FElDODqNLtQr4sspYvFvatXaOWZFKLLyabGfE-GINDp2x2Lc9TZB_6rueF2n7GjhSbzP8ov/s1600/61LLlvLpmrL._SS135_SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoZLKavEqtaG9qVkaSyX9exQfPh9_LesH8FB_fr0CijXnl0y-dH_wwdkfzCRKBdRcy-wk-FElDODqNLtQr4sspYvFvatXaOWZFKLLyabGfE-GINDp2x2Lc9TZB_6rueF2n7GjhSbzP8ov/s1600/61LLlvLpmrL._SS135_SL160_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bert-Ernies-Greatest-Sesame-Street/dp/B000002BF1/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395261616&sr=1-4&keywords=ernie+and+bert">Bert and Ernie's Greatest Hits</a>--Hilarious and sweet. . .</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6265vZm9RVDpOYXZs4LT3FJKAz5CJ0iRkfM-OFcIVf8qR75OivJaZ3p27K3xdV9Rt4MbaHSiCqqMQPuGudPmszIlUxZupoab84kJv4mVqvvzFymME53anvEFP99WkZ5Ai5y7cyd0S9wB/s1600/21M348BRKYL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6265vZm9RVDpOYXZs4LT3FJKAz5CJ0iRkfM-OFcIVf8qR75OivJaZ3p27K3xdV9Rt4MbaHSiCqqMQPuGudPmszIlUxZupoab84kJv4mVqvvzFymME53anvEFP99WkZ5Ai5y7cyd0S9wB/s1600/21M348BRKYL.jpg" height="196" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=best%20of%20disney&sprefix=best+of+disn%2Cpopular&rh=i%3Apopular%2Ck%3Abest%20of%20disney">Classic Disney</a>--It's fun when you can find a good medley of great Disney classics. Or you can just buy individual songs and make your own of all your favorites!</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmJs1rmyV5E9J9dWWWc505dLEpO1NC0iBWRvIo-l9qv2KPY2gJJET7K3Lsizm-N1T-fjyrawWKcSoIpXXUwOv-Ji_8FG0u6fN1uHPBzYaSQ21o_pXWZbPHnrAgjYJ_KBUpv3rpdJ-jJq/s1600/51XX1934NKL.__PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmJs1rmyV5E9J9dWWWc505dLEpO1NC0iBWRvIo-l9qv2KPY2gJJET7K3Lsizm-N1T-fjyrawWKcSoIpXXUwOv-Ji_8FG0u6fN1uHPBzYaSQ21o_pXWZbPHnrAgjYJ_KBUpv3rpdJ-jJq/s1600/51XX1934NKL.__PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Street-Sesame/dp/B00133KENG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395262027&sr=1-1&keywords=songs+from+the+street">Songs from the Street</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwaa9_ynFNItw2DluCG0kLP_a4Rj-A75UXp2SRknTl1j2vO5Yz7QJ7qlFCD_UedaebXjWF5uHYM4Yz6SGM41vXQ7Y90XO9K9plL3pXkdmMH0J3hrVdixJnyj2J14_4Ns67kWDgzay8p5I/s1600/51M3K7e58fL._SX300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwaa9_ynFNItw2DluCG0kLP_a4Rj-A75UXp2SRknTl1j2vO5Yz7QJ7qlFCD_UedaebXjWF5uHYM4Yz6SGM41vXQ7Y90XO9K9plL3pXkdmMH0J3hrVdixJnyj2J14_4Ns67kWDgzay8p5I/s1600/51M3K7e58fL._SX300_.jpg" height="178" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Shirley-Temple/dp/B00C7CKTGY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395261995&sr=1-1&keywords=shirley+temple">Shirley Temple--The Very Best of</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVDFcGRMG6bmv_5wL9f-4EAWziKUqZHXmgHQETwXk3f3bgqHEW8oU9GWOlY82W_Et0nen6yXDcE1GHj7vu1mPoLbZiPaQ5X5wWiarTpunzZXsAzdN9Bu6zE5K1AjHvLgUaWUwYBnoyNBb/s1600/51I2484mUeL._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVDFcGRMG6bmv_5wL9f-4EAWziKUqZHXmgHQETwXk3f3bgqHEW8oU9GWOlY82W_Et0nen6yXDcE1GHj7vu1mPoLbZiPaQ5X5wWiarTpunzZXsAzdN9Bu6zE5K1AjHvLgUaWUwYBnoyNBb/s1600/51I2484mUeL._SY300_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/kids/home"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;">Any </span>Putumayo Kids</a>, especially <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/content/animal_playground_1?section=kids">Animal Playground</a>--Another of my very favorites.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl4JCWLp9-QNRSZ1i7rRt5GBgd7JiE54hHGcUmMVpY9ztRrAW1XFi1b93rWHMNP4Ru1ovIQCPLYFlLHkYos_vKLWf2Atav8JrBhrkDOvf1KHh27EgvhNLQNQ5JUPvPit173QXQ3_EKDEF/s1600/Animal-Playground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl4JCWLp9-QNRSZ1i7rRt5GBgd7JiE54hHGcUmMVpY9ztRrAW1XFi1b93rWHMNP4Ru1ovIQCPLYFlLHkYos_vKLWf2Atav8JrBhrkDOvf1KHh27EgvhNLQNQ5JUPvPit173QXQ3_EKDEF/s1600/Animal-Playground.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=sandra%20boynton&sprefix=sandra+bo%2Cpopular%2C244&rh=i%3Apopular%2Ck%3Asandra%20boynton">Sandra Boynton’s</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Boyntons-Frog-Trouble-Boynton/dp/B00CZAYL58/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395262288&sr=1-2&keywords=sandra+boynton">Frog Trouble</a>--Sandra Boynton has lots of fun illustrated books with accompanying CD's. They all look pretty fun, but this is the only one I can speak for.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1caAwVvdG9f7guM14w4IMLy7ZI8jADmhXXV21yCiQtVEd1sjjIR8y-mUuRWe-iwVIe7mRiZuTKrAcbZW4m-TdYkTquzILHeErt3YLjwkpY5aQuaNuO8IY-U2L3jSpmj8kur-k0nSFSTt/s1600/81GkxxZCDoL._SL1425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1caAwVvdG9f7guM14w4IMLy7ZI8jADmhXXV21yCiQtVEd1sjjIR8y-mUuRWe-iwVIe7mRiZuTKrAcbZW4m-TdYkTquzILHeErt3YLjwkpY5aQuaNuO8IY-U2L3jSpmj8kur-k0nSFSTt/s1600/81GkxxZCDoL._SL1425_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<h4>
Musical Soundtracks</h4>
We all love musicals in my family, and this is perhaps the boys' most listened to genre. Whether or not they know the movie or stage versions, they love the energy and fun of these classic musicals. These are our favorites. Some of them only have a handful of songs worth having, so again it might be better to buy the songs individually when possible.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Poppins-Julie-Andrews/dp/B000654YWO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395262776&sr=1-1&keywords=Mary+Poppins">Mary Poppins</a>--Please take a moment to imagine my boys marching around to "Sister Suffragette."</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVastCOsmrxKluSBafxe8Cf87BaN4JrimBT2RI0M43sJKKaGI4_zZ1a2LzsXc53KrJQk6pSxEigV7Rzc_7fgppJgSo3Fmh4wGXg5hI557DUJGua_7vZx4Q5fD75KLxz6973rqglQUscpM/s1600/51C2P3HK71L._SX300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVastCOsmrxKluSBafxe8Cf87BaN4JrimBT2RI0M43sJKKaGI4_zZ1a2LzsXc53KrJQk6pSxEigV7Rzc_7fgppJgSo3Fmh4wGXg5hI557DUJGua_7vZx4Q5fD75KLxz6973rqglQUscpM/s1600/51C2P3HK71L._SX300_.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-Man-1962-Film-Soundtrack/dp/B000002K9Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395262847&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Music+Man">The Music Man</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildd61b5A2v_E76q2LgeH21PTGbs7Vd4H3YndbhAcmg2yjxkNBCNl13jnwnYXckoxVTvsjPEupMJ8b4-e8M0mJOk_JDsVjeClElG4mIXvW3IyKyW60kNO5ImYDgzz8KKvdeiRQOQ8TYhTZ/s1600/411MZG4H3WL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildd61b5A2v_E76q2LgeH21PTGbs7Vd4H3YndbhAcmg2yjxkNBCNl13jnwnYXckoxVTvsjPEupMJ8b4-e8M0mJOk_JDsVjeClElG4mIXvW3IyKyW60kNO5ImYDgzz8KKvdeiRQOQ8TYhTZ/s1600/411MZG4H3WL.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Music-45th-Anniversary/dp/B0041GWWUK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395262983&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Sound+of+Music">The Sound of Music</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYpkd6H1cRDZJZIGHGtuzwAEaKRUxNsZpByTKk0GugLcQUHvU80DaPVchB0E481zWfi5xqwTKSkSHcWPote7kczy29e9iEGrpWYfL0cM0raBSKAsyyqlHb3PUL_eGqf-yC4NX1jHU0gRI/s1600/61nlp1kbvCL._SX300__PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYpkd6H1cRDZJZIGHGtuzwAEaKRUxNsZpByTKk0GugLcQUHvU80DaPVchB0E481zWfi5xqwTKSkSHcWPote7kczy29e9iEGrpWYfL0cM0raBSKAsyyqlHb3PUL_eGqf-yC4NX1jHU0gRI/s1600/61nlp1kbvCL._SX300__PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Oz-Original-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B00GVFJ5QS/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395263053&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Wizard+of+Oz">The Wizard of Oz</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR4l2-Dz4b6lNG0op0P36a1RMi-7_avmduY-MbBhQLdZxhr7w2JA1yEUYmaCUVjZhsDHTuy3rrd9VZ0tMVFTmjnsKj8AAzcgwuTtSGDX6gcVq_DeCv_wXBcL_-ISBSJLM003f-lZvC3c0/s1600/81tDORuRMXL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR4l2-Dz4b6lNG0op0P36a1RMi-7_avmduY-MbBhQLdZxhr7w2JA1yEUYmaCUVjZhsDHTuy3rrd9VZ0tMVFTmjnsKj8AAzcgwuTtSGDX6gcVq_DeCv_wXBcL_-ISBSJLM003f-lZvC3c0/s1600/81tDORuRMXL._SL1500_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chitty-Bang-Original-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B00C2U6HTO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395263672&sr=1-1&keywords=Chitty+Chitty+Bang+Bang">Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSTL2TQRPgyQGPfAQSW2NspfNEjM7tktANfqeD__uL8U-TIVKF6gohc508DQG56hvKFojSrls5WDdUdozeOuSPvjHdJTQRlEQrv67h4dJVLbfoY4jcEZNK-PYshOfcHR9_htG3xob-FXV/s1600/81P2kVVcFWL._SL1425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSTL2TQRPgyQGPfAQSW2NspfNEjM7tktANfqeD__uL8U-TIVKF6gohc508DQG56hvKFojSrls5WDdUdozeOuSPvjHdJTQRlEQrv67h4dJVLbfoY4jcEZNK-PYshOfcHR9_htG3xob-FXV/s1600/81P2kVVcFWL._SL1425_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gilbert-Sullivan-Pirates-Penzance-W-S/dp/B000002GXE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395263805&sr=1-1&keywords=Pirates+of+Penzance">Pirates of Penzance</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6Z0DOC6TDhHwNrme5vWew8o4IvCi357v1PM2ndliLqyVLotGlHMjo3C8HJTufMNHWAlwml9nDbO3b_ygx6sL0hhPwEDOoDRsdPdZ_w8qamsY6ahHhyphenhyphenz7aRn1tOzA0BPzfc8-fxj-wLSn/s1600/51X9P6ZBY5L._SX300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6Z0DOC6TDhHwNrme5vWew8o4IvCi357v1PM2ndliLqyVLotGlHMjo3C8HJTufMNHWAlwml9nDbO3b_ygx6sL0hhPwEDOoDRsdPdZ_w8qamsY6ahHhyphenhyphenz7aRn1tOzA0BPzfc8-fxj-wLSn/s1600/51X9P6ZBY5L._SX300_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Original-recording-reissued-remastered-Soundtrack/dp/B00G2IO0I2/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395263857&sr=1-3&keywords=Newsies">Newsies</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpsCKKrAGAjcY-cpxcOCifamCy1evwklopwO4vyc3sw20Rb4UZWtlGuAApcdc76dh_M6uXqtizy6Itm7wH6UMcEcPvSZQjs8fipnCt79OIUoO6eQTEqUxg-9W7wztXpvRPH_o96e8VwGc/s1600/41lFPpBcZwL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpsCKKrAGAjcY-cpxcOCifamCy1evwklopwO4vyc3sw20Rb4UZWtlGuAApcdc76dh_M6uXqtizy6Itm7wH6UMcEcPvSZQjs8fipnCt79OIUoO6eQTEqUxg-9W7wztXpvRPH_o96e8VwGc/s1600/41lFPpBcZwL.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Demi-Lovato/dp/B00EDY5KTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395263934&sr=1-1&keywords=frozen">Frozen</a>--I have to admit, the new soundtrack is pretty <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASWOzLDQYT4&feature=youtu.be">singable</a>! </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikotU8TeGD5-ByIy3uGylqYr-DwzGdSSaJmNCssA27CFJzJ7dX7eNv6n21bUOMP_mq7lL6x41Ck2dgI9RF3k39yYpr_6KL-mzMqn50lKiqlmj6rWD6lcnK0-2Jrb0w1M38KDrH3AgV5sbX/s1600/91sUS1moZdL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikotU8TeGD5-ByIy3uGylqYr-DwzGdSSaJmNCssA27CFJzJ7dX7eNv6n21bUOMP_mq7lL6x41Ck2dgI9RF3k39yYpr_6KL-mzMqn50lKiqlmj6rWD6lcnK0-2Jrb0w1M38KDrH3AgV5sbX/s1600/91sUS1moZdL._SL1500_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<h4>
Go to Sleep Music</h4>
<div>
Any good, peaceful classical music will work for this. These are just two of our favorites.</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Voices-Libera/dp/B000IHY9QG/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395264162&sr=1-8&keywords=Libera">Libera</a>--Extremely peaceful and beautiful, my kids fall right asleep to this "angel music." I secretly want to move to London so my boys can be in this choir.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQnP2pJkNQtznXda4QFjPFBjtKWLHjT8N-FcdqKo18BcPhyWsTRmrOppy2GTHGhSTbLc-t-W5x1zlxpj5Pm6lYTSXKjiMle1-cCAPwkTXHM1KP3OnwVkQbzHYtvpbiBXib9WW0xjz8sSY/s1600/51kNqmQzYML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQnP2pJkNQtznXda4QFjPFBjtKWLHjT8N-FcdqKo18BcPhyWsTRmrOppy2GTHGhSTbLc-t-W5x1zlxpj5Pm6lYTSXKjiMle1-cCAPwkTXHM1KP3OnwVkQbzHYtvpbiBXib9WW0xjz8sSY/s1600/51kNqmQzYML.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dreamland-Lullabies-Soothing-Songs-CD/dp/B00008XESC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395264548&sr=1-1&keywords=Putumayo+Presents+Dreamland">Putumayo Presents Dreamland</a>--Lovely world lullabies.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMggjrido2Gv-BFKKVtlX76zJ5qZ-qYSvaEmScVIg25L3xVTY8eUx82srGGq1iHeAN82YhK0TxGDc92_B_KreKLR3H1HBnFGkbzJn-Fa29FMpeskKQyLuFJSLi4MK7U8WWCo1mDT_Q5zb/s1600/514DfsmFdkL._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMggjrido2Gv-BFKKVtlX76zJ5qZ-qYSvaEmScVIg25L3xVTY8eUx82srGGq1iHeAN82YhK0TxGDc92_B_KreKLR3H1HBnFGkbzJn-Fa29FMpeskKQyLuFJSLi4MK7U8WWCo1mDT_Q5zb/s1600/514DfsmFdkL._SY300_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
As a bonus, here are three artists I've been listening to lately: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eric-Bibb/e/B000AQ311Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1395264653&sr=1-1">Eric Bibb</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eva-Cassidy/e/B000APEIZI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1395264741&sr=1-1">Eva Cassidy</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=The+Lower+Lights">The Lower Lights</a>.<br />
<br />
What do you and your kids enjoy?<br />
<div>
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Andrew and Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14085200350294688329noreply@blogger.com7