Food

As you know, I have been digging and searching and really wrestling with what to put in my and my family's bodies. It is a really hard question to answer these days! Ideally, my husband and I would drop everything and move to a farm to live off of our organic ideals...don't be surprised if we just do this someday, too! But for now, we are smack dab in the middle of a city whose health professionals say, eat meat, don't eat meat, go raw/vegan, raw/vegan is deficient in nutrients, eat organic, conventional is fine and other such paradoxes that make it SO HARD for a mom like me to really understand what to eat.

Here's what I am chewing on for now:

• Whole, fresh foods are ultimately, no doubt the best. There is nothing that comes in a package/box that can truly offer our bodies what it needs. (This also works with my theology! God created this earth with everything in it we need.)
• Sugar is absolutely, no doubt the worst. I call it the White Satan and will one day write a blog post about how truly horrible this stuff is (from its conception in the Caribbean coast that led to the development of the transcontinental human slave trade to its addictive, immune-system depleting status of today). Agave, maple syrup, honey and dates really can replace the white stuff in your life if you're willing to shop smart and bake at home.
• Vegetables will always be the way to go...but meat can play a part, too. I do believe in Proverbs 12:10 (a righteous man has concern for the life of his animal) and in a sustainable method of farming (this is another theological issue for me--we are stewards of the earth and ought to set an example in our care of it) so organic and free range, grass-fed, hormone-free beef and poultry as well as cage-free eggs are always well worth the extra few dollars.

Rory and I never felt (or looked!) better than when we spent two years as raw vegans. We learned a lot during that time (for example, a healthy growing man CAN survive and even thrive off of green leafy vegetables--we stopped referring to lettuce/kale/chard-based meals as salads and coined the phrase "entree of greens" for a more manly twist) and my goal now is to incorporate that knowledge into our meat-friendly diet. My plan and prayer is to be green vegetable-focused using meat to garnish once or twice a week. Main sources of protein will be eggs, beans/legumes balanced with grains and nuts and seeds. We are still learning and still searching, but summer is a great time to focus on fresh foods and salads. With a lot of grace, I think we can do it.

So, the last time we were at Whole Foods I picked up several young thai coconuts (here is a great video showing how to open one at home or feel free to ask a grocer to open them for you--they have always been willing and friendly about this in my experience) and a 5-pound bag of organic carrots. I was craving a Bugs Bunny:

Bugs Bunny

1 coconut, water set aside in a glass and meat scraped out and put in the blender
Juice from 3-5 carrots, washed and trimmed of any yucky parts

Blend all the ingredients together for a delicious, super hydrating beverage and pick-me-up ideal for mornings, evenings and any time! (I have an Omega Juicer that I love but you can spend a little more for something fancier or a little less for something equally juicable.)

(And yes, that is my daughter eating strawberries off of the floor. While we might be picky about WHAT we eat, apparently, we are far less concerned with where we eat it!)

Toys

My mom is a toy-lover. She loves fun and loves toys. And since I believe less is more, she has been encouraging me to supply DD with a healthy dose of fun-inducing toys. But nothing we have purchased (and it hasn't been much, really) thrills Dia as much as

The fridge--especially when I put peaches at finger-grabbing level! (This is her, "It's ok, Mom. I have it all under control" face. :) Just kidding--she's actually waving and dancing but I couldn't capture it very well with the camera.)

The magnetic clip that holds papers on the fridge. She is an equal-item eater and enjoys eating both the clip AND the papers equally well.

Her comb! Tastes great and slides well on tile floors.

The ever fascinating dishwasher. Dia is already great at dishes--she regularly unloads the silverware tray onto the floor for me (sans knives, of course). She literally huffs and puffs and puts her crawl on turbo speed when she hears me open the dishwasher, the fridge or the pantry (where the dog's bowls are kept)!

Large melons and other objects not normally found on living room floors...

ROCKS. Enough said.

And while we have yet to master going down, she could (and does with her Oma's help) climb up stairs all day long.

Basically, she is finding the joy in everyday items and learning her place with them. It's the regular stuff of the day that thrills the most. And I am thrilled just to watch!

And then one day...

Her little blonde strands grew long enough for a barrette!

And blowing in the wind, lol!

These days are going quickly....too quickly. But what a joy to watch her grow right before me.
My greatest blessing and greatest happiness.

What I'm Eating Now

It's delicious. If there is one thing just about everyone can agree on when it comes to a raw food diet, it's that the desserts cannot be beat. And with the summer heat upon us, what could be better than no-cook pie? Make that a chocolate no-cook pie! I do so love chocolate.

This is amazingly made of avocados, dates, agave and some coconut and nuts. Simple, simple, simple and actually nutritious.

I am still finding my balance between raw foods, veganism, locavorism and the high protein diet I enjoyed during pregnancy. I'll keep you posted if I learn anything new or make any new decisions.

Here's a recipe for one like mine--I use and recommend half cacao and half carob instead of the chocolate she uses and I just use a plain pie dish, nothing fancy for me-- (she goes a bit slowly but explains everything really thoroughly if you're new to raw foods):



Make sure you watch Part 1 and Part 2.


Enjoy!

Margaretha Irene Bergler

I don't know if it's just the wonder of California or a magical spell cast over those of us heat-drenched Zonies, but it is always hard to leave California. This last trip was especially difficult. As we usually pull away from the curb on Hillward Street in West Covina, Oma and Opa (Rory's Grandma and Grandpa) stand and wave us down the street until we can see each other no longer. As they say, "it's tradition." (The movie Ever After copied it from us, I promise.)

If you have never had the privilege of your own personal Oma, well, my sincerest apologies. You have plum missed out. Omas aren't like regular grandmas. Especially Rory's dearest Oma Bergler. This Oma was born in Indonesia to a wealthy family (they were the first to bring automobiles to the island) and loved to play piano. She endured horror and pain at the hands of the Suharto Regime that shook up the entire nation, but she and her husband eventually made it to Holland with their four children (the ardous boat voyage was personally relayed to me once by Oma herself and it sounded, well, horrible) and then onto America (by now with SIX little ones) where a family of, I believe, five children sponsored them and let them stay in their home with them. As I recall, there were eleven children, two husband and two wives sharing a four-bedroom home.

That was back when American living was a privilege and Oma and Opa lived out the dream and the sacrifice. The two of them set an example we still admire and model ourselves after in so many ways. This is no small task for two foreigners raising six children in the sixties and seventies.

Sixteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren later, Oma somehow became old. She could never know how well she really wore "old," though, in our eyes. Oma brought joy without fail, though she warned all of us to never get old. I don't think we'll ever know all that she saw, experienced, lived through. But I do know that we all should be so lucky to have an Oma like our Oma.

Thankfully, I don't think any of us took her for granted while she lived among us. But still, now that she is gone, there is so much we miss--such as her small frame standing next to Opa as we start our drive back to Arizona. This last week, it was Dia's Oma (Rory's mom, Sonja) standing there next to Opa (her dad) waving us down Hillward towards our drive home. And tears flowed, I imagine, as heavily for the one taking Oma's place as they did for those of us leaning out the car window.

We love you, Oma. We'll be seeing you soon....although, some of us may be old by the time we get there--despite our best efforts, I assure you.

Ornithology 101

We have a new favorite pastime in the Starks household. It often begins with fingers pointing wildly and a steady, constant "Buh-buh-buh! Buh! Buh! Buh!" In other words, "There are birds!!!!!"

It's a very exciting time to be alive, my friends.



And in case you can't see it at the end, she reaches over to put her arm around me so that we can both see the same thing. Love has arrived....it's spelled I-n-d-i-a.