What a yummy way to combine tofu and chocolate! To create this delicious and cruelty free treat, I first searched for a good recipe. I found this one in my MercyForAnimals.org’s Vegetarian Starter Kit. I used:

1 lb. of firm tofu (though the recipe calls for 1 1/4 lbs. silken tofu)

3/4 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup of organic sugar (optional)

To Make

1. First melt the chocolate chips. Set aside.

2. Blend the tofu to a puree.

3. Add melted chocolate to blender. Blend to smooth consistency.

4. Add sugar to taste. I love sweets, so we added a full cup!

5. Either pour the mousse into 6 dessert bowls and chill, or pour mousse into a container (like a quart size yogurt container) and chill.

This is one of my favorite ways to indulge my love affair with chocolate and not feel guilty about it (for sake of the animals and my hips).

Do you have any favorite tofu dessert recipes? If so, I hope you’ll share with the rest of us!

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Happy Monday folks! This weekend we were kept busy with a happy visit with both of our mothers, a date, and a visit to our local farm. I just wanted to remind everyone that I am still running the Duraban Green Cleaning Giveaway this week and the winner will be announced on Friday. Just leave a comment on the post and enter for your chance to win, clean green and manage the spread of cold and flu viruses this winter.

On another note, I am rereading Norma Jane Bumgarner’s Mothering Your Nursing Toddler, a wonderfully helpful book for mothers who practice extended nursing, pregnant mothers who breastfeed, and mothers who are tandem nursing. In addition to benefiting from Bumgarner’s helpful tips and advice on how nursing can help comfort a teething and tantruming toddler, I am also reminded of why I chose to nurse my daughter beyond her first year of life:

1. Nursing helps children feel good and happy. What parent doesn’t want their child to feel good, especially if a child is tantrum prone or easily frustrated during the terrible/terrific twos?

2. Nursing establishes intimacy between mom and child. No one but mom and baby understand the special one on one time had during nursing, nor the play, the laughter, and well, the naps had too.

3. Nursing is the easiest way to comfort a child. Our children are busy growing, encountering new experiences, overcoming their fears, getting hurt, and winding up plumb tired during this stage of the game. Sometimes I wonder what I would do to ease my daughter’s discomfort were I not nursing her.

4. Breastfeeding is a natural analgesic for the pains of teething (why rely on children’s aspirin, teehters, etc. when mother nature gives mom the tools she needs to ease her child’s pain?).

5. Nursing is a natural sleep inducer. Need I say more? After a long day with a baby on wheels, a breastfeeding mother can be rewarded by helping her little one drift off to sleep.

6. Nursing can help our little ones overcome illnesses (breastmilk helps build our nursing toddler’s immune system).

7. Breastfeeding may help allergy prone children.

8. Breastfeeding minimizes skin disorders in nursing children.

9. Nursing is one way to participate in natural family planning.

10. Nursing enhances mothering and allows a tired mother to rest and have patience and compassion for her child.

Bumgarner’s Mothering Your Nursing Toddler includes many, many more chapters (and reasons) about the benefits of nursing a toddler and older child. As a nursing mamma for amost 2 years now, I have to say that most everything that Bumgarner lists as the benefits of nursing (for mother, child, and family too) resonates with what I value most as a mother.

What is your primary reason for nursing your toddler? Why did you choose to continue nursing your baby beyond the first year of life? Do you consider breastfeeding your child to be a rewarding part of mothering? What do you love about nursing your child?

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A few Sundays ago I met up with a close friend who loves to walk as much as I do and get outside and into the woods. On a trail in the woods, we are able to put the everyday stresses of our lives behind us while we spend an hour or so talking and sweating it out in the company of Mother Nature. I always look forward to these walks as they leave me feeling refreshed and ready to take on the coming week; I suppose you might say that walking with my girlfriend in the quiet of the woods is rather therapeutic, and I have to say, that as much as I credit my friend (for that zen feeling that all is rught with the world), I really believe that being with nature and her quiet sounds is ultimately what soothes me and helps me return to my life as a mom-on-the-go.

So this week I would like to thank the beautiful peace and quiet that is found in Mother Nature. Of course, when I cannot get outside and I am craving quiet, there are other moments where I find peace, and they are:

sipping tea early in the morning, my body slowly relaxing into itself and waking up

2 miles into a run when my legs and heart are in a rhythm and I feel free

catching sight of my daughter, lively and rowdy in the backseat of my car, suddenly lulled to sleep by the movement of the car

low-key afternoons with Toby (our large Tabby) and Annabelle nestled against me, one in each arm, purring and humming my mind out of autopilot

washing dishes and cleaning up after dinner, alone, while my family walks over to the park

and

the two minutes or so before I drift off to sleep; my hubby’s arm over me and our daughter snuggled into my chest

These quiet moments are, I realize, my heaven on earth. And oh boy do I know that I am not myself without them.

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Isn’t it funny how different parts of our lives always seems to overlap and coincide with other parts? For example, right now I am preparing to become more active in my local chapter of Attachment Parenting International; part of my preparation involves a good deal of reading. So far I have read a number of books written by William and Martha Sears, as well as several La Leche League publications. Just today I started reading Connection Parenting by Pam Leo, which so far has been a breath of fresh air for me since Leo asks parents to take a closer look at how we were parented so that we can better understand how we are parenting and how we want to parent. It may seem obvious to many parents that they learned how to parent (both the good and challenging tendencies) from their own parents and caregivers; however, Leo’s book allows parents to describe their parenting goals by listing what nurtures and what hurts, and then to analyze their own experiences as children by noting what kind of parenting nurtured them or hurt them. Completing this exercise is eye opening because it allows parents to see areas that challenge them and what they need to focus on to be more nurturing to their own children.

Connection Parenting could not have arrived in my life at a better time. I have shared my parenting challenges here in the past, but recently, I have felt more concerned about how to manage my relationship with my daughter; as she approaches age 2, Annabelle expresses more and more frustration, as well as a desire to have her own space (and yet clinging to me all the while). I often feel confused and have told friends and other parents that I am overwhelmed and uncertain of how to proceed. Always a student, I turn to books but I also turn to my peers and veteran parents (many who I admire with a healthy dose of skeptism) for parenting tips and reassurance. Among the many parents I know, I observe some who set limits for their children by threatening time outs, some who “natter” their children with critical remarks, some who set no limits because they dislike seeing their child get frustrated, and some who use size and other methods to intimidate their children. Because I was raised by two different kinds of parents–one was an authoritarian and the other was more passive–I feel challenged because I want to establish a balance, implementing firm but gentle limits for my toddler.

Luckily, there are always the Sears, in whom I tend to find resonating information and strategies for parenting and disciplining in a gentle way. While I am busy reading and working on the exercises that Leo provides in Connection Parenting, I am thirstily marking the pages and advice in the Sears’ Discipline Book. In addition, my husband and I are reading books about feelings to Annabelle; her favorite one is currently The Way I Feel by Janan Cain. After one especially upsetting tantrum, Annabelle walked over to her bookshelf and pulled Cain’s book down. Together she and I read through the story and talked about the different emotions described in the book and the scenarios that provoke our many human emotions. I asked her whether she felt sad and angry (her crying and yelling made me think so) and she nodded her head repeating the words to me. Later she signed “hurt” and pointed to her mouth, as if to say, “Mommy, my teeth are hurting and that is why I am feeling crummy.” It is really important for me, as her parent, to be able to recognize that her behavior is always rooted in something and that is not simply a child’s attempt to control a situation and exert power over their parent. At the same time, as a loving and gentle parent, I need to encourage my daughter to grow by setting healthy limits for her (the Sears discuss setting practical rules like holding hands when crossing the parking lot or street, which makes sense to me).

Right now, my feelings on other ways to discipline my toddler are mixed. The Sears have a gentle variation on the time out technique, but they recommend that parents refrain from treating it as a punishment.

What are your experiences with parenting a toddler who is exerting his or her will in a challenging way? What kinds of situations challenge you as a parent? I am eager to learn how to parent and discipline my daughter in a gentle and positive way. At the end of the day, I want to reflect on the moments that brought a smile to my face, and I want for my daughter to feel safe and happy. Your thoughts are always appreciated.

Jessica

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A few weeks ago, on a whim, I purchased a butterfly bush for our back garden. Since we didn’t have a flower bed available, I dug out a spot in the vegetable garden for her. She grew beautifully, but unfortunately, she expanded across the entire bed (so our tomato and pepper plants looked a bit claustrophobic). This weekend, my hubby surprised me by suggested we visit the gardening center for stones and dirt so that we could build the butterfly bush her very own bed. Together we transported the stones (Annabelle rode atop the wagon full of bricks since we used her Radio Flyer), dug out the bed, split bricks, leveled the ground, and achieved a sturdy and pretty stone wall. We like the look of it so much that we are thinking of replacing the wooden slabs on the vegetable garden with stones and adding yet another stone bed to our backyard this coming Spring. Oooh, I almost can’t wait!

The best part about this whole project, though, is that our butterfly bush helps to contribute to the conservation of butterflies, since they have lost their natural habitat due to development and urbanization.

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“Flowers are beautiful hieroglyphics of nature, with which she indicates how much she loves us.”

–Wolfgang von Geothe

These are just a few pictures I took last week at the Hahn Horticultural Gardens in Blacksburg, Virginia. What a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

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Photo Courtesy of Christian Rasmussenapoltix.dk

I have a confession. I love my microwave. Why is this even a confession, you may wonder? Or, how could someone who calls herself a natural mamma even think about zapping her (and her family’s) food with a microwave oven? Well, let me tell you. It just might be good for the environment.

While on my quest to learn more about energy conservation and how to make easy changes around our home, I stumbled across the fact that households who rely on their microwave oven may reduce cooking energy by up to 80 percent! That’s right. I now have a legitimate reason for not wanting to use my stove top to prepare food for my family (dare I say “cook”). Of course, pressing the start button on your microwave may not necessarily be the answer to reducing global warming. Yes, I’m back pedaling a bit. Here’s why:

1. Microwaving food may save 50 percent more energy than conventional ovens (Energy Star says that you’ll save up to 80 percent more energy with a microwave); however, these numbers and statistics only work when you’re preparing a small portion of food (i.e. left overs). So, based on these stats, you have every reason to be a pro-leftovers for supper kind of guy or gal.

2. Microwave ovens may zap the nutrition out of your good-for-you foods. More precisely, microwaves alter the chemistry of the foods, so the healthy nutrients are pretty much lost after a short rendezvous in the ‘wave. Based on the research I am reading, the verdict on how much radiation is unhealthy for us versus “potentially okay” is still out. Possible solutions? Zap your leftovers for a few seconds to a few minutes versus cooking an entire meal with your microwave.

3. Packaging for microwavable meals adds up to a whole lot of trash. As someone who stays out of the kitchen (except when Annabelle wants to bake or I have been wooed in for one reason or another) and as the sole vegetarian in my house (my dear little one is now eating organic chicken), many of my meals consist of whatever my husband is cooking plus a veggie burger, veggie dog, hummus/beans or veggie pizza. I do my very best to steer clear of animal products (including cheese and eggs), but what that means is that I tend to buy vegetarian foods that are shelved at the grocery store with alotta packaging. My solution? Well, as it turns out, my vegetarian starter kit (I ordered it out of curiosity even though I’ve been a veg. for close to 8 years) from the Compassionate Action for Animals just arrived with several recipes and a food triangle that shows vegetarians and vegans how to meet their daily nutritional needs without doing any harm to animals. I am psyched! I plan to try a few of their recipes in the coming week.

4. Microwaves may make you fat. The argument that microwaved food = a big butt (for many of us) is based on the idea that since microwaves zap the nutritional value of foods, our bodies end up craving additional calories (err, food) that pack a real nutritional punch. So, lest you long for a wide set of hips, it may do your hips some good to work (or turn on) the stove.

So, on the one hand, you’re doing our environment a favor by reducing your energy consumption when you reheat your food in the microwave, but on the other hand, you might be doing your health (and your family’s too) a disservice by zapping your food.

What say you? Are you a microwave fanatic? Or, do you scorn those who whip up their meals with the ‘wave?

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Today I am happy to announce yet another free giveaway! This time I am giving away the Duraban Total Defense Kit, which includes:

• 1 Bottles of Laundry Rinse
• 1 Fabric Spray
• 1 Hard Surface Spray
• 1 Bottle of Duraban On The Go!

If you haven’t already heard about Duraban, it’s an environmentally friendly collection of green cleaning products that are effective against harmful bacteria and viruses including:

• INFLUENZA A
• STAPH
• SALMONELLA
• MRSA and SARS
• HIV B

I am excited about Duraban since we are entering cold and flu season (not to mention our kids being back at school), and Duraban works as a barrier on surfaces to help prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses. If you hadn’t yet caught on, I am a little bit of a germophobe . . .

So here’s how the giveaway will work. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you’d like to win. Two weeks from now, on Friday October 3rd, I will announce the lucky winner. To learn more about Duraban, go here.

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After a few days away from home and from Green Mamma too, it is good to be back. To start the week off right, I thought I’d return to one of my favorite posts: gratitude Sunday. My word for this week is hope, and gosh, considering my own life and what is going on around the country and the world, a little bit of hope sounds like something we could all use more of right now. Here are a few things I am hopeful for:

a stronger economy . . .

leaders who I (and the rest of our country) can believe in (and who don’t pander to us as though we were ignorant fools) . . .

an end to the war in Iraq

how about no more war

no more violence

no more grudges to be held

appreciation for all human beings, not just the rich ones, the powerful ones, the ones we notice

that women across the world have access to an education

safe schools (where there are no guns, bullying, harassment)

a clean environment

clean air

clean water

humane treatment of animals

respect for our neighbors’ choices (so long as they do no harm)

that my bulbs sprout next spring (since I have no idea what I’m doing as I plant them)

that my daughter, my husband, my mother, my sister, my nephew, my extended family, my friends stay healthy (and happy would be nice too)

that I have many healthy children (and pleasant pregnancies . . . a girl can dream)

that I get to see my daughter (and other children too) ride a bike, tie shoes, graduate high school and college, and maybe even get married

and that I remember that right now there is a lot to be had (and grateful for) in the moment I am in, looking at my daughter’s plump cheeks and big eyes, and watching her dad gaze at her, so in love.

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image by Pix Elate via Flickrr

My family and I headed back to the mountains, but this time we went south. Reason for the trip? Hubby’s work brought us there. Over the weekend, I plan to get resituated, post alotta pictures and work on my leadership application for a parenting support group close to my heart. I also have a couple of blog posts due this week, so I’ll have to catch up on that too.

Still, I missed the blogosphere and my bloggy friends. I hope you all enjoyed a great week!  I’ll be back soon . . .

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