New Arrivals

We finally got them!

We've wanted chickens for a couple years, have been planning for them since we moved back out west, and now that our zoning laws are changing to allow them, we've finally started our chicken-owning journey. We're all pretty excited about that, even the baby, who loves to watch them. :)

Originally I thought we'd wait to get chicks till our coop was completed, but as I read up more on the topic, I realized that since they have to be kept warm inside for at least a few weeks anyway, and they typically start laying around 5 months old, we wouldn't be doing ourselves any favors by waiting. (My goal is to really dig into building the coop during spring break.)

We have had opportunities to receive laying hens for free, but I really wanted to do this journey from the ground up. I want my children to see the whole process from the beginning and to develop a relationship with these cuties when they are so soft, little, and non-intimidating. And I've fallen for them too. It is so fun to discover the chicks' different personalities and to watch them grow--which they have already done a lot of in less than a week!

The two pictured above are Buff Orpington (left) and Rhode Island Red (right), and as soon as the store gets Silver-Laced Wyandotte back in, we'll have one of those too. All three are breeds that are known for their good, consistent laying; friendly, mild natures; and cold-tolerance (a must for our winters). I would love to have more, but three should provide plenty of eggs for our family for now.

Demystifying Your Cycle

I was shocked to realize the other day that I have never written here about my "Fertility Bible." I guess I figured that because I've talked with so many friends and family about it, I had also written on the topic. Let me rectify my oversight right now!

I first read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler almost six years ago, when I was struggling to conceive for the second time. Honestly, it was like holding an epiphany in my hands--several, in fact. As I read it for the first time I was struck over and over again with amazement and excitement. I had no idea I could know so much about my own body and that it was actually giving me signs throughout the month of what it was doing.

When my cousin first told me about this book, she wrote, "I thought I knew what was going on with my body, but I really didn't. I think it's a sad thing that most women are so clueless." Ditto. I didn't realize how clueless I actually was until I learned all the book has to teach. Finally, instead of being frustrated over not having a "normal" cycle and despairing over how long it was taking to conceive, I had the knowledge to demystify my own body. It was incredibly empowering!

But this book isn't just for those trying to conceive. Another empowering aspect about this information for me was learning how to use the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) as a form of birth control in between children. (By the way, FAM is NOT the Rhythm Method, which is an ineffective guessing game.) Using hormonal contraception after my first child had enough of a negative effect on my moods and overall sense of balance and well-being that I didn't want to go that route ever again. I was, therefore, ecstatic to learn I didn't have to. (And over the years as I continue to learn about the connections between birth control and cancer, etc, I continue to be grateful I'm not still putting synthetic hormones in my body.) It has been a wonderful and effective replacement for the pill, is (obviously) all natural, and doesn't produce any negative side effects like synthetic hormones often do.

Now, if you aren't trying to conceive or prevent pregnancy, this book is still for you. It gives you the tools to understand your own reproductive health, as well as information on perimenopause and menopause. It's your body and your health, so it pays to know and understand as much as you can!

Here is Toni Weschler's official website, which has lots of helpful features. Here are popular fertility myths and what is actually true (which is typical of what you will learn in the book). And here is a post my (aforementioned) cousin wrote, debunking myths about the Fertility Awareness Method.

Speaking of myths, it's a crying shame how few doctors actually know the information in this book or the details of the Fertility Awareness Method. They are seriously doing their patients a disservice by their ignorance about something that is so important to a woman's life. Case in point: When I went in for a doctor's exam a couple years ago, after trying for almost a year to conceive our third child, he asked me what we had been trying to help us conceive. He was looking for an answer relating to medication, but I told him about FAM. He dismissed this information almost with a laugh and immediately discounted it as ineffective at best. It was blatantly obvious to me he had no idea how FAM empowers a woman to know exactly when she is fertile, which is key to attaining pregnancy. He made me feel stupid for trying such an old wives' tale, but I was also (quietly) outraged that I knew more about this information than he did as an OB. So don't look to most doctors for this information!

Of course, I realize that even with FAM some people are unable to conceive without fertility drugs and other modern medical miracles. My heart aches for those who have tried for so long to conceive and are still waiting for that precious baby. But even for them, using FAM increases the effectiveness of such interventions.

Homemade Vegetable Dill Dip (and Beau Monde Spice Mix)

A friend made this for us quite a while ago and it was so good I was surprised it didn't have any MSG. I recently made it for my family and, for the first time, my four-year-old ate a few carrot and cucumber sticks! If vegetable dip helps my kids eat more raw veggies (and me too, for that matter), I'm all for it!

Vegetable Dill Dip

1 c sour cream
1 c mayonnaise
1 Tbs dried dill weed
1 Tbs minced onion
1 Tbs dried parsley
1 tsp Beau Monde seasoning*
I typically add an additional 1/2 tsp or so of Beau Monde and some extra dill weed at the end, to taste, to increase the flavor.

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

* This can be found in the spice isle, premixed, thanks to Spice Island (and other companies). Or you can make your own mix, like I did (see below), if you already have lots of spices on hand.

Beau Monde Spice Mix

1 Tb. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tb. salt
1 Tb. ground bay leaf
1 Tb. ground allspice
2 Tb. ground pepper
1 Tb. ground white pepper
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. celery seed

Budget Saver Tip #31: Handy Uses for Rubbing Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol is a petrochemical and therefore not a substance I like to use regularly, but it definitely has its household uses. And when it comes to cleaning windows and mirrors, there is nothing I've tried that is as effective as rubbing alcohol. A little goes a long way, and a 16-ounce bottle typically costs around $1. It also cuts through crusties and dries without streaking better than anything else I've tried, including products that are made specifically for windows and mirrors.

As I researched this topic, I was surprised to learn just how many other handy household uses isopropyl alcohol has!

Does Composting Remove Toxins?

(To add to my gardening theme this week:) This little video answers the question, thanks to Geoff Lawton, one of Australia's premier permaculture experts:

SFG

I think because of the surprisingly mild winter we've had this year in my area, I haven't gotten spring fever as bad as I did last year. But spring is in the air and gardening is soon to follow--which means we need to finish the rest of our garden boxes. Now that we're no longer trying to garden on a balcony in a city (which is one of many options for SFG), we have room for several boxes, in addition to our traditional garden, which we use for growing potatoes and the bigger plants, like squash.

I've written briefly about Square Foot Gardening in the past, which has been our preferred method of gardening for a few years now. It was developed by Mel Bartholomew and has revolutionized home gardening around the world. Its empowering principles are the reason I'm an SFG convert. Here are the most important points to know about Square Foot Gardening, from Mel's blog:

Compared to traditional row gardening, SFG takes only…

• 50% of the cost
• 20% of the space
• 10% of the water
• 5% of the seeds
• 2% of the work

SFGing means:

• No more hoeing weeds
• No more heavy digging
• No more chemical fertilizers
• No more buying seeds every year
• No more rototiller
• No more all-at-once harvest
• No more excessive watering

I recommend getting your own copy of Mel's book, as there aren't generally many in library systems. You will want to refer to it repeatedly for details on how to set up your box, plant, water, etc. Our SFGs last year were a great disappointment because we left in the plastic weed barrier that was already there underneath. This year we will be using the recommended weed barrier fabric instead, which will hopefully eliminate those problems. (So learn from our mistakes and don't use plastic...!)

Gardening Excuses

Many of those who read my blog are fellow gardeners, but I'm trusting that some of you aren't. Maybe you would like to garden, but you have one or more of the following reasons for not doing so:

• My yard is too small (or I don't have a yard).
• I don’t have a tiller or other garden tools.
• I’ve never gardened before.
• I don't have time.
• I hate the weeding and the work.
• My soil is too poor to grow anything.
• Gardens use too much water (I particularly understand this one, living in deserts most of my life).

Well, the good news is that if you have the desire (or even if you don't, but you know how important gardening is to self-sufficiency and health--so maybe you have guilt about not gardening), no matter how many of the above reasons you have for not gardening, you can still do it. There's an easier way than what you're probably familiar with, and it's the way I prefer to garden (and I love gardening!). Stay tuned for my next post, when I'll discuss it in more detail...

Beef (and Zucchini?!) Enchiladas

The other night I was looking for an enchilada recipe that included ground beef, as it had been a few days since we'd had any red meat (for my oldest daughter's benefit), and I was in the mood for enchiladas. When I found this recipe, I got a bonus because it also included a veggie--zucchini--and I am always looking for ways to include more vegetables in our dinners, in ways that my girls will eat them (the baby eats everything). I had never thought of putting zucchini in an enchilada, but I was certainly willing to try it!

Verdict? My second daughter wouldn't try any (she's not a fan of tortillas), but her older sister liked it and my husband and I thought it was delicious. I especially like the homemade enchilada sauce (and the fact that I could include more zucchini than ground beef with no problem).

Note: Since I had shredded zucchini in the freezer, I used that instead of diced, as the recipe calls for.

I didn't include a picture here because the pictures at the original site are so beautiful, you really should check them out. In fact, since I didn't modify anything, why don't you just mosey on over there for the entire recipe...?

My Favorite New Product of 2012 (so far)

I wanted to include this in my Budget Saver Tips, but depending on how much deodorant you use, it may not actually save you money. Sometimes other things take precedence, though--like health. Since I have always bought my deodorants for around a dollar apiece, paying nine dollars (online price) for this baby seems like an awful lot (though my mom picked ours up for six-fifty). However, they are guaranteed to last a year. And I've heard of some people's lasting several years. So it may be a budget saver after all!

Even cooler than lasting a long time is the fact that this is no ordinary deodorant. For years I've been concerned about using regular deodorant, which contains aluminum chlorhydrates and/or zirconium, because I know heavy metals aren't good for our bodies.  And the whole idea of blocking something that our body was built to do for a reason didn't seem natural to me either. But, other than going without (which is not an option) or using baking soda (not a pleasant thought), I didn't think I had a choice. Now, thanks to my brother, I know I do.

My sixteen-year-old brother asked his doctor several months ago if there was anything he could do to reduce his body order, other than showering and using deodorant regularly, which he was already doing. He was very frustrated, and I don't blame him. (I was also impressed he would even notice; many boys his age don't.) The doctor recommended he try a mineral salt stick in place of his deodorant, and my mom ended up getting one each for him, my dad, and herself. Now they're all fans of it and my husband and I are too.

I've read reviews of a similar product that say that some people experience a two-week "breakthrough" period during which the the crystal doesn't seem to work well for them because their body is detoxing. But once that flushing out of toxins ends, there is no odor anymore. I experienced some of that detoxing, but now, even after my cardio workout, I don't smell. Amazing!

I love that the crystal stick is

• 100% natural, with no chemicals or synthetic products added, and
• hypoallergenic.

The reason it works is because, as their website states: 

"Crystalux deodorants simply adjust the skin's pH level to stop odor causing bacteria before they multiply on the skin's surface. Other deodorants may temporarily mask body odor or clog pores by stopping the natural sweating process."

I feel a lot better about using this than that chemical-laden, perfumed stuff I used to use! In fact, I feel so good about it that it is my favorite new product of the year so far.

Another Anniversary

The end of February marks the end of my blog's anniversary month. I can't believe it's actually been two whole years since I began this adventure!

For those who may have joined us later on, here is my very first post, and here is the post from my first year anniversary.

In the latter, I wrote: "Keeping up Katrina's Kitchen somehow makes me accountable and motivates me to continue making healthy changes as I become more and more educated in all sorts of health topics (as well as budgeting). It is a bonus that many of you have been able to benefit from what I learn, too, and are also making healthy changes for your families." This still holds true and I just wanted to say thank you again to those of you who have contributed to this venture with your comments, recipes, questions, suggestions, and encouragement.

May the year 2012 prove to be a healthy and educational year as we all continue to change and improve!