The Dog Days Aren't Over

According to my social media feeds,  this past Wednesday was National Dog Day. I am late to celebrate and have been pondering how my relationship with my very own dear pups has changed since my son was born.

Our two dogs were me and my husband's first babies. We spoiled them. We spent hours at the dog park on weekends--in fact, for a while we were regulars, and Sierra and Stella had their own circle of canine companions. We took them wherever we went that dogs were allowed...to the hardware store, out to dine on restaurant patios, the beach, the mountains and on every single run or hike. We shopped with them at the fancy dog store (and spent way too much money on dog treats that looked like cookies and special Himalayan chews). 

Our cameras were filled with photos and videos of our furry friends and we sent each other texts of adorably hilarious images of our pups (imagine a pit bull in a tee shirt or a wig!). Each night you would find our pups curled up at the foot of our bed as we drifted off to sleep.

Now, the reality is that the dogs sleep downstairs on the couches.  We often keep them gated in a smaller space when we are gone because they like to mark their territory on our rug (jealously?). Their leashes are no longer an everyday item. I struggle juggling a toddler who wants to ditch the stroller a mile into our walk and a dog who thinks every other dog is her worst enemy. If the dogs are going on an outing with us it is often to the vet.

I realized the full scope of the issue when my son started scolding the dogs ("No Sierra, get back or "bad dog"!) as he had so often watched us do when the pups tried to climb on my lap during a nursing session or attempted to steal snacks from his little hand. 

This makes me sad, a bit guilty and it is hard to admit. I know that I can do better to include ALL members of our family. My sweet pups have given me wonderful unconditional love, sloppy kisses, warm cuddles and the best pit-faced grins I have ever seen. They are ecstatic to see us when we get home each day even if all they get is a pat on the head as we start to settle into our evening routines. We are all they've got. I have spent the past few days reconnecting with the pups and even pulled out a few pictures from our early adventures with them. 

I try not to take anything or anyone for granted, and this has to include the pups. They are a blessing to our family and Jasper is lucky to grow up with loyal companions who will guard him fiercely. So it's time for me to remember that the dog days are not over, they are just different. And as our son grows up we hope for many more pup-filled adventures ahead! 

Summer Eats from the Farmers Market

One of my favorite weekend activities is visiting my local farmer's market in the morning. No rush. My coffee in hand (of course!). Setting out on a mission of wonderful fellowship and sampling some of the homegrown goodness my community has to offer. Truth be told, it can get a bit overwhelming exploring rows and rows of rainbow-colored fruits and veggies, while juggling a toddler, cash and a grocery list. With that said however, the bounty that we go home with tastes much better than anything the grocery store has to offer AND we get to support our local hardworking farmers at the same time. 

We have been enjoying many summer eats from the farmers market lately, most of which, are our favorites year after year. So, if you are on the hunt for quick and easy meal ideas to savor what is left of the season's best, look no further! All of these recipes are vegetarian, although could be adjusted to your meat eating preferences. 

My Favorites In No Particular Order: 

• Basil, Balsamic and Tomato Pasta: Top cooked whole-wheat pasta with colorful cherry tomatoes, garlic sautéed carrots, basil, garbanzo beans, grated cheese and ground black pepper. Drizzle with a high quality, reduced balsamic vinegar*. 

*If you have yet to cook balsamic vinegar over the stove top, you have to try it out! I bring 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil and cook until it is syrupy and reduced to around 1/4 cup. It tastes delicious drizzled over ice cream or strawberries for a simple, yet elegant dessert.........it kind of tastes like chocolate, trust me! 

• Figs on Toast: Whole-wheat toast topped with chopped figs, a drizzle of local honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I eat this for breakfast or as part of my lunch. 

• Homegrown Tomato and Goat Cheese Sammies: Slice of bread topped with a thick layer of goat cheese (we love Goat Lady cheese) and several homegrown tomato slices. Top with ground black pepper and lettuce or kale leaves. 

• Crockpot Bell Pepper and Bean Sloppy Joes: Yup, these are meatless! In a crock pot (low heat for 4-5 hours), cook 2 cups chopped bell pepper, 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 8 oz. of tomato sauce, 1 can drained, rinsed and mashed kidney beans, 2 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tbsp. mustard and 1 tsp.chili powder. Right before serving add a splash of apple cider vinegar. We usually serve as sandwiches and they are super messy (but that is fun!).

• Roasted Vegetable Tacos: Roast diced squash and zucchini in the oven (coated with olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper) for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve inside hard taco shells (I like to use Garden of Eatin's taco shells, no trans fat!) with black beans (canned, drained and rinsed), shredded cheese, chopped cilantro and salsa. 

• Eggplant Curry: Sauté a medium-sized eggplant (diced) with bell pepper (cut into strips) and garlic. Add pureed spinach (I found an organic spinach puree at Target---score! I add it to lots of my son's foods), curry powder, turmeric and a hint of cinnamon. Delicious served over rice with a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes and avocado on the side.

Cocoa-Nut Kale Chips

I have been working on crafting kid-friendly vegetable recipes for a side project of mine and I think I hit the jack pot with this one! I made a batch this afternoon in hopes of having a sweet after-dinner treat, however between me, my husband and son they vanished quickly. 

 Kale has certainly been touted as a super food for a few years now and I try to eat it fairly regularly in salads, on sandwiches and cooked into eggs. Finally, I can add this tasty green to my desert collection!

Enjoy!

Cocoa-Nut Kale Chips

Ingredients: 

* One small to medium bunch of kale 
* Coconut oil (4 tsp.)
* Honey (1 tbsp.)
* Unsweetened coconut flakes (1/3 cup)
* Unsweetened Cocoa powder (1 tbsp.)
* Cinnamon (1 tsp.)

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. 

Wash the kale and pat very, very dry. Tear the kale into pieces (you don't have to get them super small, they shrink down quite a bit) and remove the larger stems (I like to keep the small stems in place for texture). Place the torn kale leaves into a medium-sized bowl. 

In a small dish mix together two teaspoons coconut oil and honey. Pour over the kale leaves and massage into the kale well. 

In the small dish mix together the remaining 2 tsp. of coconut oil, the coconut flakes, cocoa and cinnamon. Pour over the kale leaves and massage all ingredients to mix the dry mixture into the kale, trying your best to coat evenly. 

Pour the kale onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Make sure that the kale is spread evenly over the baking sheet, no layers! If you need to you can bake another batch. 

Bake for approximately 40 minutes until lightly crisp. I turned up the heat for the last 5 minutes for some extra crisp (300 degrees) although I will say this recipe is not super crunchy. 

*Check the oven often to make sure your kale is not burning!

I Have Cried over Spilled Milk

"Nursie... night night!" These three words are a plee for comfort from my son. A request to cuddle and nap. A hope of drifting back to sleep from a teeny voice in the night. They are words that create mixed emotion for me as a nursing mama.

Before my son was born I was fearful that I would not be able to nurse him.  Considering the fact that my son, now pushing 19 months, has shown no desire to wean, I laugh at the notion. From the first latch I have loved breastfeeding him. But I am going to be honest, at times, it is no picnic (for me anyway!).

In honor of World Breastfeeding week I wanted to share some of my journey, the beautiful moments, the awkward ones, the moments where I have cried in frustration. I support every woman's personal decision to try to breastfeed or not but I am hopeful my words may help encourage mamas who are thinking about it, encourage their loved ones to support it and help normalize breastfeeding for those who are unsure about it. The bottom line is, the best research has informed us that there are countless health benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby. If you would like some resources on the nutritional benefits of breast milk I will be glad to share them, please send me a message!

A Few Things I have Learned on my Breastfeeding Journey:

- Support from family and friends is essential. During the first week of nursing my son my husband was a rockstar. He brought me nutritious food, made sure I stayed hydrated, encouraged me during times I wanted to give up and literally was by my side with hot compresses when I needed them. He took an interest in providing the best nutrition for our son and I am beyond grateful for this. We were a team. I think it's time for more significant others to step up to the challenge. Breastfeeding is NOT just about the mother.

- It is so Beautiful. I cannot even describe how amazing it is to snuggle and bond, so closely, with an adorable baby who is gazing up at you. When your little one gets older he or she will take a break, ever so briefly to grin, and I promise you you will melt.

- It Requires Patience: Nursing frequently when your babe is young is very important and normal. I often heard "he's hungry again?!" You bet! If you neglect to nurse on demand you may end up with an uncomfortable situation or mastitis. I nursed my little guy for an hour every 20 minutes for the first few weeks. I had to scramble to get a few things done in my 20 minute window. 

- Pumping sucks. I hated it . So much. Finding a suitable place to pump was often a headache. I cried a few times while pumping in my car. Pumping enough milk was also a headache and I had to come to terms with supplementing some formula. But I kept going for a year reminding myself that being a mama does not come without some sacrifice!

- Unfortunately, it is not yet the "norm," I cannot even count the number of times I nursed in public and someone stopped to say they were inspired by me (mostly mamas-to- be and one father actually!) or impressed at my ability to gently wrangle and discreetly nurse a squiggling baby at the restaurant table.

- It comes in Handy: Nursing is number one in my bag of tricks for soothing an inconsolable toddler. I sometimes worry I am giving my son a dependence on it, but then I have to remind myself it is part of our relationship and how he seeks comfort from me when he is tired, upset or just bumped his head on the table! In the early days it was also very handy not to worry about packing formula everywhere we went. 

- You can Still Sleep : I found the best way to handle sleep and nursing was to cosleep. I had no interest in doing the zombie shuffle a few times per night and a family bed is something that can be done safely with proper precaution. We also found an Arm's Reach cosleeper helpful. I know many mothers who still got plenty of sleep while nursing without cosleeping too. 

- You never have a Break. If you are away from baby you have to pump. If your little one is older and still nurses for sleep, you will likely be thinking about them wailing and wide awake the whole time you are away. Or you may forgo date nights and outings because of this altogether. Also, too many glasses of vino? Not gonna work. 

- You get to Eat More: About 500 calories more per day to be exact. And, lactation cookies are an awesome excuse to eat lots of cookies.

- It so Valuable: The biggest thing I have learned is how truly valuable every ounce of breast milk is. I took nothing for granted. In learning this I now know where the phrase "cry over spilled milk" must come from (been there...)!

All in all the journey has been absolutely worth it!