tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223538662024-03-07T10:56:23.563-05:00k-landthe land of kkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-36988758298383171792012-01-18T16:15:00.002-05:002012-01-18T16:15:52.612-05:00Things M Says (Part 44)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This morning, before school:<br />
<br />
M: I can't find my other Croc. <br />
me: Well, that's why you need to put your shoes away when you take them off. Now you need to go look around all the weird places like under your bed and in the yellow room.<br />
M, walking back: Mom, you were right! It was under my bed!<br />
me: See? I knew it! Why do you think I have a "shoe pile" over there?<br />
M: ... <br />
me: Why do you think I tell you to put your shoes in the pile every day?<br />
M (thinking): So that everyone will know where their shoes are.<br />
me: Exactly.<br />
M (thinking some more): Wow, it's like I'm at school right now, because I'm learning.</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-90054546404046691182012-01-12T12:15:00.001-05:002012-01-12T12:15:25.152-05:00Things E Says (Part 12)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We work on pronunciation with E a lot, because of the cleft. This is my favorite:<br />
<br />
me: Say "one more t-t-t-tiiiime"<br />
E: One more I-i-i-i-ime!</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-30485625566547478862012-01-12T12:12:00.000-05:002012-01-12T12:12:01.248-05:00Things E Says (Part 11)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
75 times a day:<br />
<br />
E: Mama, wook!</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-48870543367217935822012-01-12T12:08:00.001-05:002012-01-12T12:08:41.460-05:00Things M Says (Part 43)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This morning before school, with a new Wii from Christmas at our house.<br />
<br />
M: My ear really hurts. I think I need to stay home and rest my ear.<br />
me: So you need to stay home and lay in bed and read? If you're sick you have to let your body rest and lay in bed. You won't be playing the Wii or watching TV and movies.<br />
M: I think my ear would be okay if I was playing the Wii...<br />
me: Maybe, but if you're sick then you need to lay in bed.<br />
M (walking away): I think my ear is feeling a little better...</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-78366481838264072112011-10-29T22:17:00.002-04:002011-10-29T22:17:40.009-04:00Things E Says (Part 10)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Everyone looking up at a helicopter:<br />
<br />
E: "My hewicopper!"<br />
<br />
Sure buddy, it's totally yours!</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-27401427738356872882011-10-29T22:14:00.001-04:002011-10-29T22:14:26.900-04:00Things M Says (Part 42)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
M and R talking during bathtime:<br />
<br />
R: "It's a pain in the butt."<br />
M: "Why is it called a pain?"<br />
R: "If you say something is a pain, then you mean that it's annoying."<br />
M: "Why do you say it's a pain in the butt?"<br />
R: "It's just a figure of speech to say 'pain in the butt'."<br />
M: "A butt?!" (lifts his bum out of the bathwater and points at it) "You mean like this little cutie?!"</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-67648516123029538942011-09-15T17:30:00.001-04:002011-09-15T17:41:54.033-04:00I Love...This Thing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3138NDHttFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3138NDHttFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It was recently my birthday on September 11th, which brought along with it<a href="http://www.the-exponent.com/2011/09/11/ten-years-ago/"> reflections on the national tragedy</a> in conjuction with the Birthday Fairy. The Birthday Fairy is my mother's invention (don't tell my kids!), and she makes birthday mornings ever so much fun! You wake up on your birthday with a trail of goodies from your bed to the living room where, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you get some presents. My kids love it, even when it's their mom's birthday. M woke me up bursting and said "come see what you got, it's so exciting!!" <br />
<br />
This year I chose several items from Amazon to "help" the Birthday Fairy choose things that I would truly love to have. I found an old Super Nintendo game I used to love to play when I was a kid visiting my cousins house for under $10, as well as an almond flour cookbook to give support to my GAPS diet, and a CD that I haven't heard in years. But the thing I am loving most is having this little doohickey around. It's a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IHXFQK">scalp massager</a> and I love it. It relieves my stress and it was about $3, which relieves my stress a little more, ha! The first time I used it on M he stopped in his tracks with half-closed eyes and said "it makes me feel all shiver-y". Exactly.</div>
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-26102201930826236062011-09-06T01:00:00.003-04:002011-09-15T18:27:45.654-04:00Chocolate Coconut "Larabars"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7E5fOpxIy5phY9685od-K2iTLjU2_YnBLmIA9keLiet8LMIWbOnliXhiCsa1TApVJWv1SZOwf8-thgFtVXKXwiHvPIRz-wNPeOrfpFRrCOJDlpcUI2fd6mo3JoFX1XeDy6uQ_/s1600/IMG_1850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7E5fOpxIy5phY9685od-K2iTLjU2_YnBLmIA9keLiet8LMIWbOnliXhiCsa1TApVJWv1SZOwf8-thgFtVXKXwiHvPIRz-wNPeOrfpFRrCOJDlpcUI2fd6mo3JoFX1XeDy6uQ_/s320/IMG_1850.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b><br />
<b><u>Chocolate Coconut "Larabars"</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Put these items in a food processor and mix until they form a ball. Set the ball aside in a bowl.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 cup pitted dates, chopped</div>
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1 cup dried fruit (figs, raisins, etc.)*</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
pinch salt</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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Now put these items in the food processor and mix until the consistency is like coarse flour. Add the ball back in by pinching pieces of it off and adding them into the food processor bowl. Then add the coconut oil and water by drizzling over the bowl evenly. Process until the dough becomes a ball again, or close to it.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 1/3 cups <a href="http://kmillecam.blogspot.com/2010/09/preparing-for-monday-crispy-nuts.html">soaked and dehydrated nuts</a> (almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, etc.)**</div>
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1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/4 cocoa powder</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
2 tablespoons coconut oil (to desired consistency)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
2 tablespoons filtered water (to desired consistency)</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Press into a 8x8 glass pan, then cut into bars and serve immediately. You can also store them in an airtight container at room temperature.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*I used dried figs</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
**I used equal parts hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts<br />
<br />
This post is a part of <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-september-9th/">Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade</a>, <a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2011/09/pennywise-platter-thursday-98.html">Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet,</a> and <a href="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/09/real-food-wednesday-9711.html">Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop</a>. (And<a href="http://realfoodforager.com/2011/09/fat-tuesday-september-13-2011/"> Fat Tuesdays at Real Food Forager</a>!)</div>
</div>
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-60779989064076364192011-09-03T15:30:00.001-04:002011-09-15T18:32:05.262-04:00Herbed Chicken Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jd2fyCnlwr1l6SwGGwBs7bqqMSY8OtAHfRA2WkkO3aVejtj8kvxtO3-NKci-nUYlGAgkjR7D_s_Mlml-LblEq5g8yguomgbbJjGiPsxpI544MGZgKQm5bvn6OLpiIMK8aOE1/s1600/IMG_1838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jd2fyCnlwr1l6SwGGwBs7bqqMSY8OtAHfRA2WkkO3aVejtj8kvxtO3-NKci-nUYlGAgkjR7D_s_Mlml-LblEq5g8yguomgbbJjGiPsxpI544MGZgKQm5bvn6OLpiIMK8aOE1/s320/IMG_1838.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b><br />
<b><u>Herbed Chicken Salad</u></b></div>
3-4 cups of cooked chicken, cut up into cubes<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise (<a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/06/01/homemade-lacto-fermented-mayonnaise/">preferably homemade</a>)<br />
1/3 cup sour cream<br />
two handfuls of parsley, finely chopped<br />
handful of tarragon, finely chopped<br />
handful of thyme, finely chopped<br />
several sage leaves, finely chopped<br />
2 pickles, finely chopped OR dill pickle relish<br />
1 tsp dried dill<br />
1 cup of grapes, sliced in half (optional)<br />
1 cup of pecans and/or walnuts (<a href="http://kmillecam.blogspot.com/2010/09/preparing-for-monday-crispy-nuts.html">preferably soaked and dehydrated</a>) (optional)<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. <br />
<br />
Use to make sandwiches on sprouted bread, or if you are on GAPS, like me, eat wrapped up in a lettuce leaf. Yum!<br />
<br /></div>
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-73330564516980748342011-08-31T11:43:00.000-04:002011-09-15T18:50:38.995-04:00Onion, Pepper, Broccoli, and Herb Fritatta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.comfytummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/breakfast-pie-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.comfytummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/breakfast-pie-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: http://www.comfytummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/breakfast-pie-1.jpg</span></div>
<u><b><br /></b></u><br />
<u><b>Onion, Pepper, Broccoli, and Herb Fritatta</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b><br />
</b></u></div>
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop all the vegetables and heat up a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Grease a glass pie plate with butter or palm shortening or coconut oil and set aside. Now saute these items together, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
1 bell pepper, chopped<br />
1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />
1/2 tsp dried basil<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Pour the cooked vegetables into the prepared pie plate. Add all these items to the cast iron pan next, and saute until broccoli is bright green and tender, about 8 minutes.<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
1 cup chopped broccoli<br />
1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />
1/2 tsp dried basil<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Pour this batch of cooked vegetables into the prepared pie plate as well. Spread around evenly. Then combine these items in a separate bowl:<br />
<br />
8 eggs, whisked<br />
1 cup shredded cheddar<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
And pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the pie plate, making sure they are all covered and with egg (for the most part).<br />
<br />
Add more salt, pepper, thyme and basil to taste on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.</div>
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-59097870353290652852011-08-30T18:31:00.009-04:002011-08-30T19:42:40.066-04:00How Do I Start GAPS?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've had a lot of people ask me about how to get started on GAPS now that I have been at it myself for 5 1/2 months. Whoa! That's a long time! Anyways, I wrote an email to my friend, and it turned into this post. Hopefully you will find the links and structure inspiring so that you might take GAPS on for yourself.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent;"><div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.9254459193907678" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.9254459193907678" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GAPS Introduction and How-To</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to staaart! </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so first of all here's the basic overview of the diet: </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=28"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">GAPS Diet Overview</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span> Now you know where you're going, and it's time to prepare prior to starting Intro Diet:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">buy GAPS books:</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">do NOT buy </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Syndrome-Internal-Bliss-GAPS-Cookbook/dp/B002OON192/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314655104&sr=1-1"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Gut and Psychology Syndrome</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> unless you can afford it no problem and you would like to read it; it's not essential, it's haphazardly written, but it's also very interesting in a rambling kind of way!</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DO buy </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Simple-Steps-Bowels-Brain/dp/B002ONFWUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314654714&sr=8-1"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">GAPS Guide by Baden Lashkov</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which is much more clearly written, shorter and cheaper :)</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DO buy </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Bliss-Cookbook-following-Psychology/dp/0615409318/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1314654624&sr=8-4"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Internal Bliss</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which is a spiral-bound book full of GAPS recipes</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you can buy any or all of these books here more easily (and cheaper!) than on Amazon (which I linked to for review purposes, not price/ease): </span></span><a href="http://www.shop.gapsdiet.com/category.sc?categoryId=7"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">List of GAPS Books</span></span></span></a></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">buy cod liver oil: </span></span><a href="http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/CodLiverOil/index.cfm"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">buy probiotics:</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bio-Kult is recommended and it really IS awesome; you can buy it here: </span></span><a href="http://www.shop.gapsdiet.com/category.sc?categoryId=6"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Bio-Kult Probiotics</span></span></span></a></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would recommend buying in bulk since it goes from $42/bottle to $37/bottle.</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next best probiotic I have found is the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Probiotics (it says 85 billion live cultures on the bottle), and it's a little cheaper: </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4A2PS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000GWKA2K&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1AM1RW6W4E8SPMRVQSBE"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Garden of Life RAW Probiotics - Women</span></span></span></a></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find bones/meat using this link: </span></span><a href="http://www.eatwild.com/products/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Eat Wild Directory</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or this link: </span></span><a href="http://www.grassfedbeefdirectory.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Grassfed Beef Directory</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find grass-fed beef, lamb (if stuck, Whole Foods has them, but they are pricey)</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find pastured chickens (Whole Foods has a decent price on pastured chickens: the Mary's Air Chilled Pastured chickens; buy in a "box" and they will give you 10% off)</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find wild seafood (this is easy to find, but harder to find with bones; try Asian markets)</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">make bone broth ahead of time, store in freezer (make sure to store in large glass jars or safe plastic like polypropylene)</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recipes for broth, beef, chicken, fish (including quick fish stock): </span></span><a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Broth is Beautiful</span></span></span></a></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">buy/make sauerkraut, pickles, other fermented veggies</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bubbie's brand is made the old-fashioned way with salt, which means it's raw, probiotic, and needs to be refrigerated; I get mine through my monthly order at Azure Standard: </span></span><a href="https://www.azurestandard.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Azure Standard</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make sauerkraut: </span></span><a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/07/old-fashioned-lacto-fermented-sauerkraut.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Old-Fashioned Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make kimchi: </span></span><a href="http://gnowfglins.com/2011/01/05/kimchi-korean-sauerkraut/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Kimchi: Korean Sauerkraut</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make lots of sauerkraut juice: </span></span><a href="http://thenourishingcook.com/2010/02/is-sauerkraut-juice-the-new-gatorade/#"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Is Sauerkraut Juice The New Gatorade?</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make dilly carrot sticks: </span></span><a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/lacto-fermented-dilly-carrot-sticks.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Lacto-Fermented Dilly Carrot Sticks</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make pickles: </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2011/08/11/lacto-fermented-dill-pickles/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles</span></a></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span>OR<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/sour-pickles/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Sour Pickles</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make Moroccan preserved lemons:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/morrocan-preserved-lemons/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Morrocan Preserved Lemons</span></span></span></a></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find good local eggs:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/02/20/how-to-buy-organic-eggs-pastured-vs-free-range-eggs/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">How To Buy Eggs</span></span></span></a></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ask if their chickens eat soy, you do NOT want soy in the feed</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ask if their chickens eat bugs outside in the sun, since this produces dark yolks full of vitamin D and other nutrients</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you may pay $5/dozen at farmer's markets, but people with backyard chickens tend to charge around $3/dozen, so keep your ears open for those opportunities</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find raw dairy: </span></span><a href="http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Where To Get Real Milk</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span></span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make raw milk yogurt: </span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">buy some store whole milk organic yogurt and put 1-2 tablespoons in a quart mason jar and fill with raw milk, stir, cover with a cloth, and let sit at room temperature (around 85 degrees) for at least 24 hours; then you have yogurt!</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OR you can make your own starter and then make raw milk yogurt from that; here's a how-to: </span></span><a href="http://gapsguide.com/2009/09/15/gaps-yogurt/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">GAPS Yogurt</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> OR </span></span><a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-yogurt/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Homemade Yogurt</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OR you can simply buy and use Strauss, Humboldt or Trader Joe's yogurts; make sure they are whole milk, organic, plain, and have a long list of different strains of bacteria in them (the longer the list the better!)</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make sour cream:</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recipe:</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OR buy Daisy brand or any other sour cream that has only the ingredients: cream, milk, culture, salt (no skim milk, no milk powder, no thickeners)</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make whey (from raw milk, yogurt, etc.): </span></span><a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/05/01/how-to-make-whey/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">How To Make Whey</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make ghee: </span></span><a href="http://www.lifeisapalindrome.com/recipes/how-make-ghee"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">How To Make Ghee</span></span></span></a></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">use Kerrygold or Humboldt butter (they are grass-fed), or other grass-fed butters you might find in your area</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find raw cheese:</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there are raw, grass-fed cheeses on Azure Standard</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rumiano is a grass-fed brand</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tillamook is grass-fed MOST of the time if you are in a bind (it's also not raw)</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organic Valley is raw, but I don't know if they are grass-fed</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trader Joe's carries some grass-fed cheeses</span></span></li>
</ul></ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">soak and dehydrate nuts for later in Intro Diet</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to soak: </span></span><a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/07/soaking-nuts.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Soaking Nuts</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">then dehydrate out in the sun or in a dehydrator until crisp again</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to use as "flour" just grind up in a food processor</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut shreds (unsweetened): all available at Azure Standard</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">virgin coconut oil tastes and smells like coconut, whereas the expeller-pressed kind has no flavor or taste</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coconut flour is VERY handy for making treats, but has a lot of fiber so eat carefully</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coconut shreds are tasty and filling, plus you can add them to yogurt bowls and things like that</span></span></li>
</ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">make water kefir, milk kefir, or kombucha (all are allowed):</span></span></li>
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make water kefir: </span></span><a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/06/05/how-to-make-homemade-soda-pop-with-kefir-grains/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Homemade Soda Pop With Kefir Grains</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make coconut water kefir: </span></span><a href="http://www.lifeisapalindrome.com/recipes/how-make-young-coconut-water-kefir-yck"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">How To Make Young Coconut Water Kefir</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make milk kefir: </span></span><a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/milk-kefir/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">How To Make Milk Kefir</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how to make kombucha: </span></span><a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/08/14/how-to-make-kombucha/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">How To Make Kombucha</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">where to buy water kefir grains, milk kefir grains and kombucha mushrooms: </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Cultures For Health</span></span></a></span></li>
</ul></ul><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, now you're ready to start. You should have a fridge/freezer full of stock, yogurt, sauerkraut, whey, eggs, veggies, grass-fed meats, ghee and such (eventually in stage 6 of Intro Diet you can add nuts and fruit)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is a Google doc with all my recipes in it, both for Intro Diet and Full GAPS Diet. It's a work in progress because I haven't transferred all the recipes over, plus I'm always finding new ones. Feel free to check it out, and add more links in comments if you have them!</span></span><br />
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QoXgE5YJfbSzQmCpoACGfm9wQjWYs92zcWvxNbsLJGY/edit?hl=en_US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">List of GAPS Recipes</span></span></a></span></li>
</ul><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I have two additional Google docs that go into more depth with real food and candida, both of which are very helpful:</span></span><br />
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DAwCwzo2guq16j-L-jqh7xNbYbGuNDrmYvwuWPJt-Ds/edit?hl=en_US"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Real Food Basics: An Overview</span></span></span></a></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yBlPD_Szka-0lMkZUzPCTuYN_EpVRpHUmB0DDdXN1eE/edit?hl=en_US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Candida, Sugar and Detoxing</span></span></a></span></li>
</ul><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope this helps (and doesn't overwhelm!) you as you get started. I'm so excited to help you transition into this!</span></span></div></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-28443966281239017982011-08-22T13:22:00.001-04:002011-08-22T13:23:58.431-04:00Peanut Butter Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (GAPS, grain-free)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I saw <a href="http://grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com/2009/11/peanut-butter-brownies.html">this recipe</a> on Grain-Free Foodies and was inspired to make a chocolate-peanut butter version for my GAPS dessert quota. They came out so beautifully! I would even make these for company, kind of like the <a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/05/lemon-curd-bars.html">Lemon Curd Bars</a> that even "regular" people like. I tend to worry about my taste buds these days, since having been on GAPS and real food for so long I don't need as much sweetener in my desserts. But really, these brownies are good enough for anyone to like, even if they aren't a fellow GAPSter.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies</b></div>2 1/2 cups peanut butter<br />
1 cup raw honey<br />
4 eggs<br />
3/4 tsp. baking soda--<u>optional</u>, do not use if on GAPS<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients together with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, until the batter is well-mixed, glossy and <i>slightly</i> stiff. However, do not beat too long! If it's too stiff, then the brownies will be tough.<br />
2. Butter a 10x15 glass pyrex pan very generously. Pour batter into the pan, spreading out with a spatula. If this doesn't work, get your fingers wet with water and press into an even layer.<br />
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and set in the middle.<br />
4. Let cool completely before frosting.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Buttercream Frosting</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 sticks grass-fed butter, at room temperature</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup raw honey</div><div style="text-align: left;">2/3 cup cocoa powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp. vanilla</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Put butter and honey into a bowl on your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at a high speed for 3-5 minutes until well-combined and light colored. Turn mixer off and add cocoa powder and vanilla. Start mixer slow until combined, then whisk on high for another 3-5 minutes. Turn off, scrape down the sides of the bowl and combine by hand. </div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Chill entire bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove and whisk once more for 3-5 minutes. Use to frost immediately. Store leftover frosting in the fridge.</div></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-85392339002654602952011-08-04T18:31:00.001-04:002011-08-04T23:09:12.486-04:00Daughters of Mormonism Podcast: Gender Bias in the Book of Mormon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For the last three days I have been listening to the Daughter of Mormonism podcast, one after another. I have been blown away by how much I love this podcast, perhaps because I consider myself "over" a lot of the issues that are raised in some of the episodes. I was particularly struck by this feeling as I listened to</span><a _mce_href="http://daughtersofmormonism.blogspot.com/2011/04/episode-3-gender-bias-in-book-of-mormon.html" href="http://daughtersofmormonism.blogspot.com/2011/04/episode-3-gender-bias-in-book-of-mormon.html" style="color: #0066cc; line-height: 1.5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> the third episode called "Gender Bias in the Book of Mormon"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">I was surprised by the strong emotional reaction I had as I listened to this episode. I have given up on believing in a literal translation of the Book of Mormon, so why would I care about whether or not there are as many "he" references as "she" in the text? It turns out that I still care an awful lot. The Book of Mormon and it's portrayal of men and women were a major part of my childhood, affecting the way I thought about myself and where I fit in in the grand scheme of things.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">I was the kind of believer growing up who would have denied that gender bias made a difference to me. It could have been because I was young, or I just didn't see the impact, or that I could sense that admitting that would be something you might say if you didn't have faith. But ultimately, as is the case with feminism and sexism in general, once you see it you can't "un-see" it. A friend of mine once put it this way, to quell fears of those who say feminism is unrealistic because feminists see it everywhere: "I see it everywhere, but it isn't the only thing I see". That really resonates with me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">I realize now the damage that gender bias in the Book of Mormon has done in my life. The great and abominable church, the daughters of Zion, and the gates of hell are all "she" and "her" in the BoM passages Sybil read in the podcast. It became a burden I was used to, to "take the extra step". I took the extra step to change all the words he to she, him to her, men to women. I took the extra step to tell myself that I mattered even though the scriptures forgot to mention my sex. I took the extra step to excuse the men over the pulpit who forgot me, to tell myself that they didn't mean it and I was actually included. I took the extra step to fit myself back into a structure that was made for men, over and over again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I accepted it because I didn't know any better. But that doesn't mean that I didn't want something better, even back then. And it certainly doesn't mean that I accept this now, not when I have done so much work to value myself as a whole person. I am deserving of, yes, even my own pronouns! </span><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At the very least my own pronouns.</span></em></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">It is similar to the damage done by being taught and believing that the greatest deity is male, God the Father. Mormonism's redeeming quality here is that we believe in a Heavenly Mother, but it doesn't do all that much since she is essentially silent and absent. It wasn't enough for me to simply knew that she existed. I wanted a female god to relate to, to imagine myself being! And for that matter I wanted to have female scripture heroes, female General Authorities to emulate and revere, and women in my local ward who had real power and influence.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">It's taken me a long time to admit how I was affected by this one specific part of Mormonism. How did you feel while you were growing up in the Mormon faith, as a female reading these gender messages in the Book of Mormon? Can you look back now and see more clearly how it affected you?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://www.the-exponent.com/2011/08/04/gender-bias/">(cross-posted at The Exponent)</a></span></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-45348580884681865932011-08-04T01:50:00.002-04:002011-08-04T01:51:21.652-04:00GAPS Chocolate Nut Bars and Coconut Lemon Bars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Oh boy are these good! I based them off the wrapper of the Chocolate Coconut Chew Larabar I ate earlier yesterday, using <a href="http://gnowfglins.com/2009/12/04/enzyme-rich-homemade-larabar/">this recipe</a> as a template from Wardeh over at GNOWFGLINS. I made a double batch and pressed them into a 9x13 pan and they fit perfectly.<br />
<br />
These bars are great because they are high in protein, the only sugars are from the dried fruit, and they are made with organic items. The nuts called for have been soaked in salty water and dehydrated to reduce enzyme inhibitors. This is also a raw and GAPS friendly recipe, not to mention portable and relatively easy to make in bulk. I haven't priced it out, but I am also pretty sure that my homemade bars are cheaper than the individual price of a Larabar at $1.29 at Trader Joe's and $1.49 at Whole Foods. But that's not to say that they aren't worth it, because I am known to buy a box of 12 bars at Whole Foods upon occasion!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Chocolate Nut Bars</b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup pitted dates</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup dried figs</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup raisins</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 T cocoa powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">large pinch of coarse sea salt</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup soaked and dehydrated almonds</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup soaked and dehydrated walnuts</div><div style="text-align: left;">scant 1/4 cup cocoa powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">scant 1/4 cup shredded coconut</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">approx. 2 T. expeller-pressed coconut oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">approx. 2 T. filtered water</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Put dates, figs, raisins, 3 T cocoa powder and salt into a food processor and process until it turns into a paste and forms a ball. It should take a few minutes, and may require you to hold your food processor down firmly for the first minute or so!</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Remove ball of paste and set aside in a bowl. Add almonds and walnuts to the food processor and process until a fine nut meal forms (don't go too long or you will have almond-walnut butter). </div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Turn off and add the ball of fruit paste back in, pinching into smaller pieces to ease the mixing process. Add remaining cocoa powder and coconut and process until </div><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><div style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">it makes a dry paste that you can press into a glass pan. If needed, add a little coconut oil and water to moisten, about 1/2 teaspoon at a time.</span></div></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Coconut Lemon Bars</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup dates</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup dried figs</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup raisins</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 T. shredded coconut</div><div style="text-align: left;">large pinch of sea salt</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">3/4 cup soaked and dehydrated almonds</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">3/4 cup soaked and dehydrated walnuts</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">scant 1/2 cup cocoa powder</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">juice of 3 lemons</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">approx. 2 T. expeller-pressed coconut oil</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">approx. 2 T. filtered water</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">1. Put dates, figs, raisins, 3 T. shredded coconut and salt into a food processor and process until it turns into a paste and forms a ball. It should take a few minutes, and may require you to hold your food process</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">or down firmly for the first minute or so!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">2. Remove ball of paste and set aside in a bowl. Add almonds and walnuts to the food processor and process until a fine nut meal forms (don't go too long or you will have almond-walnut butter). </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">3. Turn off and add the ball of fruit paste back in, pinching into smaller pieces to ease the mixing process. Add remaining shredded coconut and lemon juice and process until it makes a dry paste that you can press into a glass pan. If needed, add a little coconut oil and water to moisten, about 1/2 teaspoon at a time.</span></div></b></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-46350616027913063542011-07-26T18:39:00.000-04:002011-07-26T18:39:32.381-04:00Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (w/ Chocolate Mint and Chocolate Orange options)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><u>Basic Chocolate Buttercream</u><br />
1 cup softened grass-fed butter<br />
1/2 cup raw honey<br />
1/2 cup cocoa powder<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
<br />
<u>Mint Chocolate Variation:</u><br />
add 1 tsp. mint extract<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<u>Orange Chocolate Variation:</u><br />
add 1 tsp. orange extract</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-12247403091561887442011-07-12T19:55:00.000-04:002011-07-12T19:55:04.206-04:00Things M Says (Part 41)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">M, after talking incessantly to Super Mario World: "Hey Mom, is there a guy that pops out right here that goes 'zoop! zoop! zoop! zoop! ahh! and then throws fireballs?" </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Um, nope. Pretty sure I would have noticed that.</span>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-88843516859295477412011-07-07T16:55:00.001-04:002011-07-08T11:56:58.050-04:00My Planned Parenthood Carnival: My Story<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLvpeYBfQ0O6nH2EzvywLP9qpoP_-d7Gb78iiBi_mpEAv-DplBBCAHe4YcFVWGtxy09ueJCX55SWRlp31HomXIQEJQwrXDmo7fV0tFiFv8n7nrZH6UNMfDKoyzMMWfdO62T9S/s1600/mypp5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLvpeYBfQ0O6nH2EzvywLP9qpoP_-d7Gb78iiBi_mpEAv-DplBBCAHe4YcFVWGtxy09ueJCX55SWRlp31HomXIQEJQwrXDmo7fV0tFiFv8n7nrZH6UNMfDKoyzMMWfdO62T9S/s1600/mypp5.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>(The carnival hub is <a href="http://www.whattamisaid.com/2011/07/my-planned-parenthood-blog-carnival.html">here</a>. And there are lots of other posts on Shakesville <a href="http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/">here</a>. You can also look for the <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23MyPP">#MyPP hashtag</a> on Twitter.)<br />
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I have actually never been to Planned Parenthood. I live a life of white, middle-class privilege where my parents always covered my insurance. And when I went to college, got married, and had children, I always had insurance. I'm very lucky to have had that coverage. For so many other women, Planned Parenthood is there for them for patient care. <br />
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My experiences with Planned Parenthood are more second-hand than anything else. I had a roommate in college who used Planned Parenthood because she didn't have any insurance as a poor, newly-married student. She had her first child under the watchful and affordable care of the <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/centerDetails.asp?f=2257&a=91730&v=details">Utah Valley Planned Parenthood</a>. I'm glad that she had that security.<br />
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A more recent second-hand experience involves my work with <a href="http://phoenixyouthatrisk.org/">Phoenix Youth at Risk</a>. A youth in one of our programs came to me when she had just lost her virginity. Her partner, a so-called best friend, snuck his condom off right before they started having intercourse. He thought it was funny. He thought maybe she wanted to have a baby. She was 14. I made sure that I wouldn't be breaking any rules by taking her to our local Planned Parenthood. I found out that I was allowed to take her there, but I couldn't go inside with her. I told her that I would take her. She never did take me up on the offer, especially after she found out she wasn't pregnant. But I'm glad that I have PP to lean on if another youth ever comes to me for help. <br />
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In short, I believe in Planned Parenthood. They fill a vital, non-judgmental role in our communities all around the U.S. I hope the voice of the people in every state holds Planned Parenthood up at this time of need. If you can spare any donation money right now, <a href="https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pp_ppol_Nondirected_OneTimeGift&__utma=1.1129437396.1310071599.1310071599.1310071599.1&__utmb=1.21.10.1310071599&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1310071599.1.3.utmcsr%3Dgoogle%7Cutmccn%3D(organic)%7Cutmcmd%3Dorganic%7Cutmctr%3Dprovo%2520planned%2520parenthood&__utmv=-&__utmk=185816745">please give what you can to Planned Parenthood</a>.khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-660671254570557702011-07-04T10:41:00.000-04:002011-07-04T10:41:42.096-04:00Bone Broth Challenge (not so hard when you're on GAPS)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">CHEESESLAVE is doing a <a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/2011/07/01/get-your-gravy-on-take-the-bone-broth-challenge/">Bone Broth Challenge</a> for the month of July. Since I am about halfway through my third month on GAPS, I decided to join in and raise awareness on bone broth and all it's benefits.<br />
<br />
First things first, how do you make bone broth? Well, I use the Broth is Beautiful recipe <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/515-broth-is-beautiful">here</a>. You will find recipes for basic chicken, beef, and fish stock there. Or I make my delicious basic <a href="http://kmillecam.blogspot.com/2010/10/go-to-meal-homemade-chicken-soup-with.html">Homemade Chicken Soup</a>, without dumplings for now while I complete GAPS. <br />
<br />
Lately I have been just throwing bones, water, carrots, celery, and a little apple cider vinegar into my slow cooker for one hour at room temperature (the vinegar draws the minerals out of the bones). Then I move the slow cooker outside on a chair and cook it on high overnight. That's the easiest way to make stock I have found.<br />
<br />
I have had some truly amazing healing take place for me as I have drunk three cups of broth every day for the last 3.5 months. You don't need to commit to GAPS or cups of stock every day to feel better though. If you do the Bone Broth Challenge, you are only committing to one cup every day. See how you feel after this month.<br />
<br />
Benefits of bone broths include:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Healing your gut lining: stock is alkalizing, which balances and soothes leaky gut syndrome (which most of us have from growing up eating the Standard American Diet (SAD)).</li>
<li>Collagen: this can help reverse wrinkles and cellulite. For me this is a possible added bonus while I do GAPS!</li>
<li>Calcium and other minerals: this can revitalize your teeth and bones, hair and fingernails. I have even heard some people swear they have remineralized teeth that have been hit by decay.</li>
</ol></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-52568894998429213082011-06-29T13:16:00.000-04:002011-06-29T13:16:51.978-04:00My Planned Parenthood Carnival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">What Tami Said and Shakesville are co-hosting an upcoming blog carnival. On July 7th please join in on your own blog and link up with Shakesville and What Tami Said to share your story. Planned Parenthood provides vital services to too many Americans for us to stand by and be silent. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2011/06/july-7-what-tami-said-and-shakesville.html">Here is the blog announcement of the carnival</a> so you can read more about what do to. For example, on idea is to use the hashtag #MyPP on Twitter to raise awareness of the issue.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2011/06/july-7-what-tami-said-and-shakesville.html"><img alt="My Planned Parenthood: raise your voice. tell your story. July 7." src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/shakespeares_sister/shakes3/mypp1.jpg" title="My Planned Parenthood icon" /></a></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-55763702307494774562011-06-20T17:00:00.001-04:002011-06-20T17:08:07.331-04:00Modesty: Rape Culture, Rape Apology, Young Women, Young Men<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">[Trigger warning for rape and body policing.]</em></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"><a _mce_href="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/images-1.jpeg" href="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/images-1.jpeg" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img _mce_src="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/images-1.jpeg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8024" height="245" src="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/images-1.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; height: auto; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%;" title="images-1" width="206" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I have recently come across a few posts regarding what Young Women wear, and what they are told to wear. Some say <a _mce_href="http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2011/06/stop-telling-the-yw-to-be-modest-for-the-ym/" href="http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2011/06/stop-telling-the-yw-to-be-modest-for-the-ym/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">Stop Telling the YW to Be Modest for the YM</a>, and some rebut with <a _mce_href="http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2011/06/tell-the-yw-to-be-modest-for-the-ym/2732/" href="http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2011/06/tell-the-yw-to-be-modest-for-the-ym/2732/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">Please Keep Telling the YW to Be Modest for the YM</a>. Of course, whenever we veer into telling someone what to wear, there is a possibility for blame. If we tell the Young Women not to show their shoulders, their legs, their skin, or even the outline of their body, because it will "make" the boys aroused, it sends a clear message: You are responsible for how the boys think and react to your sexual body.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">While discussing what YW should wear, two different friends of mine used typical victim-blaming language. One friend essentially said that he didn't think women are responsible for dressing modestly for men, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">but just that the men would appreciate it</em>. And another friend said that it would irresponsible for him not to teach his daughters that <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">they can avoid</em> unwanted sexual advances by how they dress. I emphasize the italicized parts, because they are the most vital to understand the rape culture we live in.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">The problems with these two statements? It's still not a good reason to dress modestly for someone else, even when a benign word like "appreciate" is used. It's still <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">for</em>someone else, essentially making women responsible for men's reactions to women's bodies. And when women are responsible for how they dress "making" men aroused, the victim-blaming has commenced. As for the second statement, how you dress<a _mce_href="http://www.bridgew.edu/SoAS/jiws/May10/Avigail.pdf" href="http://www.bridgew.edu/SoAS/jiws/May10/Avigail.pdf" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank"> has been shown NOT to affect rates of rape and sexual assault</a>. It could not be more clear that when we teach our young women how to dress for safety, we are not arming them with safety at all but simply reinforcing rape culture under the guise of concern.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">This situation with good friends puts me in a difficult position, aptly described as <a _mce_href="http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/08/terrible-bargain-we-have-regretfully.html" href="http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/08/terrible-bargain-we-have-regretfully.html" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">The Terrible Bargain</a>, where I either keep quiet about their rape apologetic answers or I do bring it up and risk friendships and credibility as I will most likely be seen as a shrill harpy for being so difficult to talk to. In this case, I spoke up.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I pointed out to my friend that even if we tell our daughters to think <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">a little bit</em> of what they are wearing and how it makes men react, then it is still victim-blaming. I also talked about how we generally deal with rape as "how can people avoid rape as victims", as opposed to "how do we hold perpetrators responsible". Why are we so focused on the victims? Because rape culture perpetuates our default explanation to be geared towards the victims.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">It's easier to deal with victims than with aggressors. <a _mce_href="http://mormonmissionaryposition.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/slut-shaming/#more-260" href="http://mormonmissionaryposition.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/slut-shaming/#more-260" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">It's easier to tell women what to wear and how to act and how to avoid rape, than to root out sexual violence in our society and culture</a>. Easier is not good enough for me. I expect more. Let me say that again: I expect more. Maybe instead of worrying about how we talk to our daughters about what they wear and and how they act and how that will get them raped, we need to be talking to our sons about how they treat women, or objectify women, or use women.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">Addressing rape culture and the rape apologetics that we have all heard is a tricky business, but it is vitally important. And here's the rub: people you know, people you like, people you respect, and people you love will, at some point, apologize for rape or victim-blame. I still do myself sometimes, and I care about this issue passionately. I am personally committed to eradicate victim-blaming from my thoughts, speech, and actions. I expect more from myself, so I feel confident that I can reasonably expect more from people in my life.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">The truth is that I'm not trying to hurt someone's feelings when I ask them to examine what they are saying. I care too much about women to let rape apologia reign. The truth is that I am not dense. I understand what someone means when they say they want to protect their daughter by teaching her to avoid rape by dressing modestly. But like so many other feminists, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;"><strong style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">I expect more</strong></em>.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">So in my defense, let's have a little quote, the portion that deals with how women dress in particular:</div><blockquote style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 3em; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">Rape culture is 1 in 6 women being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. Rape culture is not even talking about the reality that many women are sexually assaulted multiple times in their lives. Rape culture is the way in which the constant threat of sexual assault affects women’s daily movements. Rape culture is telling girls and women to be careful about what you wear, how you wear it, how you carry yourself, where you walk, when you walk there, with whom you walk, whom you trust, what you do, where you do it, with whom you do it, what you drink, how much you drink, whether you make eye contact, if you’re alone, if you’re with a stranger, if you’re in a group, if you’re in a group of strangers, if it’s dark, if the area is unfamiliar, if you’re carrying something, how you carry it, what kind of shoes you’re wearing in case you have to run, what kind of purse you carry, what jewelry you wear, what time it is, what street it is, what environment it is, how many people you sleep with, what kind of people you sleep with, who your friends are, to whom you give your number, who’s around when the delivery guy comes, to get an apartment where you can see who’s at the door before they can see you, to check before you open the door to the delivery guy, to own a dog or a dog-sound-making machine, to get a roommate, to take self-defense, to always be alert always pay attention always watch your back always be aware of your surroundings and never let your guard down for a moment lest you be sexually assaulted and if you are and didn’t follow all the rules it’s your fault.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">--Melissa McEwan from Shakesville, on <a _mce_href="http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/rape-culture-101/" href="http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/rape-culture-101/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">FAQ: Rape Culture 101</a></div></blockquote><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">Amen. It's harmful to young women to be saddled with not only their own growing and changing bodies, developing sexuality, and insecurities, but also with the responsibility not to tempt boys and men. And not just to tempt them in an impure-thoughts kind of way, but not to tempt them in a it's-your-own-fault-if-he-rapes-you kind of a way. No woman deserves that kind of pressure and responsibility.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">So not only is the question of rape culture and rape apology a tricky one, but now we get to figure out how we DO talk to our children and the Young Men and Young Women about sexuality, modesty, responsibility, and boundaries. How do we navigate those waters without victim-blaming? How do have these conversations without blaming women for men's thoughts? If anyone can figure this out, it's our community here at The Exponent. I'd love to hear your progressive, body-positive, feminist ideas.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"><a href="http://www.the-exponent.com/2011/06/20/rape-culture-and-rape-apology/">(cross-posted at The Exponent)</a></div></div></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-78694838401979446842011-05-13T23:57:00.000-04:002011-05-13T23:57:50.161-04:00Things M Says (part 40)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">M, comparing his manhood to E's: "E! Your pen!s is getting bigger, but not as big as mine!"<br />
<br />
Oooo-kay. It starts young, no?</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-43656216791651041822011-05-08T03:45:00.000-04:002011-05-08T03:45:51.141-04:00From Eat Fat, Lose Fat to GAPS Intro Diet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx8eDQvYXbq94RBNp6pbeqoIzkHuBTowoWoQhkwHsgtFPyDtvOkaYwjmOc3_JlHHrKyzPEnT9gx60nj0BgvK3hfV2Yr6geUjYVbWYR09M1UbgZ1LwwPOh2w2cMZ1kchC481qw/s1600/Candida_albicans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx8eDQvYXbq94RBNp6pbeqoIzkHuBTowoWoQhkwHsgtFPyDtvOkaYwjmOc3_JlHHrKyzPEnT9gx60nj0BgvK3hfV2Yr6geUjYVbWYR09M1UbgZ1LwwPOh2w2cMZ1kchC481qw/s320/Candida_albicans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>As you all know, I committed to lose weight using the Eat Fat, Lose Fat regimen last October. What I found out through the process of taking coconut oil in hot water with a squeeze of lemon three times a day for fivemonths is this: healing comes before weight loss.<div><br />
</div><div>In the process of taking all that coconut oil, I did lose about 5-10 pounds. But instead of slimming down beyond that, I found that my weight stabilized and held as other health issues improved. I had more energy. I was sleeping regularly. I actually wanted to work out and be active by going outside, walking, riding my bike, doing yoga and pilates. I felt at ease, content, levelheaded. I started to wonder if it was simply <i>okay </i>that I hadn't lost weight yet. My body was healing!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Through that process I realized that when I give my body what it needs, it will heal from the roots up. I am guessing that my weight gain and fatigue and hormone fluctuations are a result of nutritional deficiency. As I heal from that deficiency, my problems disappear in order starting from the underlying issues all the way up to things like weight gain. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So that brings me to the <a href="http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=28">GAPS healing diet</a> that I started on March 19th. It was only natural that after healing with coconut oil alone, an intense healing diet was the next step. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was having success healing, yes, but it was slow. I was less tired, but I wasn't energetic all day. I was more active, but I wasn't running and biking and yogaing everyday. Those are the kinds of things I really want. I want to feel excited and happy about life! I want to run and bike and feel energized, not the need for a nap.</div><div><br />
</div><div>On March 19th I started the <a href="http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=28">GAPS Intro Diet</a>. I made it through the six stages in about 6-7 weeks. I am about to move to the <a href="http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GAPS-Diet-Foods.pdf">Full GAPS Diet which includes more variety than any of the Intro Diet stages.</a> What I had experienced with the Eat Fat, Lose Fat diet was only a small part of the way I have been feeling for the last month and a half on GAPS. Yes, the die-off was intense at first (the first week or two), but oh the energy! and oh the happy body I have! GAPS is intense, yes, but it is worth it!</div><div><br />
</div><div>(I'll be writing more in depth on GAPS issues over the next several months. I committed to do GAPS from March 19th until September 19th of this year. I might even do a GAPS challenge for my readers in a week or two. Don't worry, you'll only be committing to a week of GAPS!)</div></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-60233360875475733172011-04-21T17:08:00.000-04:002011-04-21T17:08:27.286-04:00Things M Says (part 39)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">M says the full name of any show that he wants to watch.<br />
<br />
M: "Mom, can I watch Avatar: The Last Airbender?"<br />
M: "Hey Dad! We have five episodes of Spongebob Squarepants!"<br />
M: "Can we watch the special extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring?"<br />
<br />
Okay, that last one is made up. But you get the picture.</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-83647400774260568052011-04-13T10:22:00.004-04:002011-04-14T01:20:24.648-04:00My Choice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"><blockquote style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 3em; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">"So though the fight over Planned Parenthood might be<a _mce_href="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/50234_2232038917_1806414_n.jpg" href="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/50234_2232038917_1806414_n.jpg" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img _mce_src="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/50234_2232038917_1806414_n.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7392" height="200" src="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/50234_2232038917_1806414_n.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; height: auto; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 24px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 100%;" title="50234_2232038917_1806414_n" width="200" /></a>about abortion, Planned Parenthood itself isn’t about abortion. It’s primarily about contraception and reproductive health. And if Planned Parenthood loses funding, what will mainly happen is that cancer screenings and contraception and STD testing will become less available to poorer people. Folks with more money, of course, have many other ways to receive all these services, and tend to get them elsewhere already." --<a _mce_href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/what-planned-parenthood-actually-does/2011/04/06/AFhBPa2C_blog.html" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/what-planned-parenthood-actually-does/2011/04/06/AFhBPa2C_blog.html" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">Ezra Klein on What Planned Parenthood Actually Does</a></div></blockquote><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">When I was 20 weeks pregnant with my second son, I went in for my ultrasound and checkup hoping to find out the gender of my baby. I already had one three-year-old son, and I was hoping for another boy. The ultrasound tech saw the male gentalia and told us. I was ecstatic! I asked a lot of questions about the heart and brain and bones. The technician asked if I was a nurse, surprised by my inquisition. I said no, I was just interested in physiology. After studying many sciences, and then modern dance in college, I had an awareness of and interest in the human body that was automatic. The idea of growing a skeleton, muscles, life in my womb was mesmerizing in the dark of that ultrasound room.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">A few minutes later, my husband and I spoke to my obstetrician about the baby. She said that their equipment was old, but that she was fairly certain that our baby boy had a cleft lip. I had read about cleft lips in biology a few years before, but I did not really know what was done for cleft babies. I was not worried. We were to go to fetal and women's center with a "million dollar ultrasound machine". Honestly, the only thing I thought was to hope for a 4D ultrasound picture for the fridge. My husband and I had no idea what we were in for when we made that appointment.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">We went to the perinatal center a few days later and realized we were there with other high risk pregnancies. I started to get nervous, wondering about whether or not I would be able to breastfeed a cleft baby. Questions were forming. In fact, during the exam I asked so many questions that the tech finally had to tell me she was not allowed to answer some of them. The doctor finally came in and told us about the cleft. But then she said that he also had a problem with his kidney. They thought it might not be forming properly. I was numb as they started to talk about how the two problems were unrelated, making the likelihood of a syndrome greater. In other words, it was more likely that he had an underlying syndrome rather than just happening to have a cleft and a kidney issue.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">They started looking to see if our baby's hands and fingers could clasp and unclasp. Something in my mind snapped. I shook off the numbness and shock at that point, and began to sob. I demanded their best guesses as to what was going on with our baby. They said they didn't know, but that we would need to meet with a genetic counselor. We were also recommended for an amniocentesis to get more information. It was likely that his underlying condition was bad, like Trisomy 13 or another short-lived, painful syndrome. I was gently asked about the possibility of needing an abortion. For the first time in my life, I considered it.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">The next day we went back for the amniocentesis. I am terrified of needles, but in the past few years I have faced my fear and been able to have blood tests done without fainting. The doctor was bright and loving, and I trusted her when she said how good she was at very quick amniocenteses. I wasn't in the mood to smile, but I appreciated that. I had not slept much that night, speculating with my husband about what our baby might have. As the needle went into my belly, and I squeezed my husband's hand and my eyes tight shut. It was over, and I wasn't even faint. But when the doctor announced how many CCs had been taken and I went white and had to lay down. I asked questions about the genetic tests they would perform, and how long it would take for them to come back.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I hated our genetic counselor. She was perfectly nice, but did not have any answers. I knew my hatred was a mask for my fear and anxiety. I wanted to make the next 10 days go by as quickly as possible. I sobbed half the day, and did yoga in the middle of the night to calm my nerves. I still remember doing sun salutations in the dark, trying to stop weeping. We had to wait for one general set of tests, and then for another set of more specific tests. I called the genetic counselor morning, noon, and night the days the tests were supposed to be done. I was nearing 22 weeks, when the dividing line for an abortion in the state of Arizona had been drawn.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I wanted to know what my baby was facing, to know if I needed to spare him a painful, short life if he ended up having Trisomy 13, or something else equally horrific. Even if he <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">did </em>have a fatal syndrome, I was fairly certain that I could not go through with an abortion. The days were painfully long. I compared the mercy of an abortion for my malformed child with the difficult birth and mere months of life that he might have to endure with many painful health problems. I had no idea what I would do.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">We finally heard back about our baby boy's chromosomes: they were normal. There were other, more rare syndromes and diseases we might want to check for. But the ultrasounds showed a strong heart, and one fully working kidney. The cleft was bilateral, incomplete on one side, and in the lip and palate. This was a rarer form of cleft lip and palate, and one of his kidneys had simply not formed at all. But he was thriving. Everything else looked strong and fully formed.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I was relieved. I didn't have to choose between an abortion or my baby's death at the age of 1 due to some awful syndrome. A cleft lip and single kidney was welcome indeed. I no longer had to wonder if he had something life-threatening or that would cause a terrible death at an early age, a situation that I might have considered having an abortion for.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I still do not know what I would have done if my baby had been missing a chromosome, or was found to carry a fatal sickness. But I had a choice. I had a legal, supported, dignified choice that I could make myself, alone. I had a choice that I wrestled with day and night for weeks while we had testing done. If I had chosen to have an abortion in a situation like that, it would have been out of love and out of necessity to spare our baby pain and suffering.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I am so thankful for the women at the perinatal center for giving me that option without any judgment in their voices on those first uncertain, rocky days. They did not presume to know what was best for me. They simply offered options, and support. And trust. They trusted me to know what was best for me and my baby.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I decided to keep him, of course. He beat the odds with his genetic testing, and I was spared my own Sophie's choice. He has beat the odds on many fronts. I am lucky.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I am also lucky to have the right to choose what I want to do. I have that right because I live in a country where abortion is legal. I have that right because I am a white middle-class woman with means and health insurance. I have that right because I am informed of my options. I have that privilege. Many do not. There are millions of women who, when faced with a situation similar to mine or worse, do not have the options I enjoyed.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">This past week has been dramatic as we have watched a government shutdown nearly averted, all turning on the fulcrum of Planned Parenthood and it's funding. I do not wish on anyone what I went through with my youngest baby, but it will happen anyway. Sometimes it happens to women who don't have money or health insurance. Do they deserve less than I do? Do they not have the right to a legal procedure, if they need it, if they weigh their options and make a heart-breaking decision about what to do?</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"><a _mce_href="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/p.txt.jpeg" href="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/p.txt.jpeg" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img _mce_src="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/p.txt.jpeg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7389" height="285" src="http://www.the-exponent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/p.txt.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; height: auto; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%;" title="p.txt" width="453" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">97% of Planned Parenthood's services are preventative: cancer screenings, yearly exams, rape services, and birth control. Planned Parenthood's services do include abortion care. But those procedures are not touched by federal money, despite all the recent headlines and spin that the budget crisis was over federal funding for abortion or just abortions themselves. <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">The truth is that the budget war was, and is, over access to basic women's health care.</em></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">I stand with my choice to keep my baby when I found out he would not be severely ill and in pain during his life. I would have stood by my choice either way, because I would have known that I had made it while considering all sides. I stand by women who make these decisions in secret because of the stigma of abortion. I stand with Planned Parenthood. I stand with life and choices both staying in tact whenever possible. I stand with my sisters, mothers, aunts, daughters, grandmothers, and all the other women I am connected to on this planet as a <a _mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/07/pelosi-there-is-a-war-on-women/" href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/07/pelosi-there-is-a-war-on-women/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">war rages around their bodies</a>. I stand with women.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;"><a _mce_href="http://www.exponentii.org/" href="http://www.exponentii.org/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">(Exponent II's most recent issue has three pieces on Women and Reproductive Choice, found in the Exponent Generations feature.)</a></em></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"><a href="http://www.the-exponent.com/2011/04/13/my-choice/">(cross-posted at The Exponent)</a></div></div></div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22353866.post-38323367789585385652011-04-01T02:21:00.000-04:002011-04-01T02:21:42.661-04:00Things M Says (part 38)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">critiquing me, like a judge on <i>Top Chef</i><br />
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M: "This is a really nice smoothie, probably the best one you've made so far. It's got a good flavor from the kefir and berries, and it's really cold. Overall, very delicious Mom."<br />
me: "Um, thanks."</div>khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788159137030617997noreply@blogger.com1