Connection

Lily and I have taken a wonderful class series learning how to work clay at a local art studio. Every Tuesday night in 6 week chunks, we would drop the little kids off with Chad and head to get dinner somewhere and there we would chat, write, draw, and get to know each other. Then at 5 we might wander over to the coffee shop, then on to art class.

Art class ended and we can't attend the winter session because of the weather in Iowa in January and February and the fact that we live 1.5 hours away from the city where the class is. If it was a day class, maybe, but travelling Iowa roads in the dark and ice is just something I would rather avoid. Plus, winter chores are a problem and we just need to be closer to home more often.

She was sad, but said stoically, "Mama, I just like best that we have alone time together, like we used to before the other kids were born."

She had almost 4 years of being an onliest child and I forget that sometimes. Knowing that she needs that extra connection, that special time where she is not responsible for being an example, a big sister, or a playmate is important. Being the oldest is hard. Being the oldest in a family with special needs is more so, I think.

So now, instead of just watching television with her before bed, I picked up a couple art projects that are too complex for the little kids and only she and I can do together. We started earlier this week and so far so good.

I watch for lectures and events we can attend. Tonight we are attending a lecture on American Gothic by art historian Wanda Corn. It may be way over Lily's head, but that's actually a good thing. She will be challenged, maybe even a little bored, but maybe not. She will have to learn to mingle and socialise with people who are a "big deal" and are of different social classes than we are eventually and this is a safe place to do that and for her to see me do that too.

These are more than just decorations and outings, these are relationship building. Every moment I get to know her better. I may be her mother and it is easy to think that I know her best, and maybe I do, but much of her is still ever changing and a mystery to me and possibly to her as well. My job is to be here for her and help her get to know herself. It is a gift if she shares even a tiny bit of that with me.

Drinking Coffee, Tea, and Other Warm Beverages

Caramel Latte is one of my favourite all time drinks. The one in the picture had way, way too much syrup and it was clearly not real caramel. So disappointing to drink, but very pretty to look at.

Now that the weather is quickly cooling and we will soon rival temperatures and wind chill with Siberia (not kidding y'all), I like to play around with warm drinks.

I do warm cider with cream, from scratch chai latte, coffee, hot chocolates, warm teas, spicy teas, herbal teas..... but the real trick is not actually making them yummy. That is easy, no the real trick is making them still taste yummy after I add in a 1/4 a teaspoon of fermented cod liver oil.

Yes. I said it. Fermented Cod Liver Oil. This has got to be the most foul smelling and tasting thing anyone ever has decided was something people should eat. God forbid it spills and the clean up rag ends up in a forgotten laundry hamper only to curse the house with a fouled up washing machine, losing 5 towels to attrition, and ruining several good sweaters. That is like the worst level of laundry hell, I kid you not. So why, oh why, would I even bring that into my house let alone feed it to my children? Vitamin D. I refuse to use synthetic. I do not even give my kids a multivitamin, I prefer to make sure their food is rich in nutrients of the digestible and usable kind. Still, with Isaac's immune deficiency and known Vitamin D (actually a hormone) deficiency (34 was his last level), I decided to give cod liver oil a try. Bonus, it helps with chronic constipation that plagues 22q kids but Isaac has never had issues with. Nope. Never. Are the two related? Maybe.

We also do not use sunscreen. We eat Vitamin D rich foods like mushrooms, fresh pastured lard, grass fed butter, and fish. We go outside all year round and stay out there in the sun. We have Happylights. Crazy talk, I know. Seriously though, I work mushrooms into so many things here it isn't even funny. I hate mushrooms. Hate them. For the benefit of our health, I got around my own personal issues. They go in the bone broths and I puree them into meat balls and sauces so there is mushroom of some sort on the table 3-4 times a week.

Why not use synthetic D in pill or gummie form? There are a lot of reasons, synthetic D reacts with calcium in a different way and 22q kids have issues with calcium levels. Low calcium leads to seizures. Natural D does NOT have this problem. The kicker for me was this mind blowing fact- vitamin D isn't a vitamin- it is a HORMONE. No way am I giving my kids synthetic hormones. Nope. Not ever. Not when I can do the same thing naturally and with food and a couple fancy light bulbs.

So that brings me to to the fermented cod liver oil. I do not use it every day. They get it in their warm drinks on cloudy stretches in the winter. Today the kids played outside for 90 minutes in the sunshine, even though it was cold. They came back in with better attitudes and flushed cheeks after planting acorn seeds they found (Isaac got to help), hauling firewood by the arm loads (Isaac watched), and generally running around in the grass chasing each other. Today they did not need it. I usually start giving it to them in January and through April, depending on our weather here in the Midwest.

I am getting pretty good at being a sneaky barista, but last year my kids found me out and mounted a political campaign with protest signs and a chanted slogan (MAKE the DISH without THE fish......OIL. They took turns supervising food preparation to catalog ingredients. It was hilarious. This year, I plan on being honest about it.....when they ask me.

I would love not to have this in my fridge though. What kinds of things do other folks do? Ideas?

Alligator Soup

So I made this: Alligator Gumbo. Except that it wasn't really gumbo. It was a chowder. The kids insisted on calling it gumbo and they gobbled it up. Isaac had two bowls worth of alligator (he picked the meat out and ONLY ate that until he ran out and then he spooned up broth only bites).

It was simple actually. I carmelized one diced onion in butter, then added bite sized chopped up alligator fillets and sprinked seasoning salt on generously. I simmered that until the meat was cooked and the natural liquid was mostly gone. Then I added a handful of flour and made a quick roux. Next in was 4 cups of chicken broth, slowly poured in while stirring to keep the mixture thickening. Brought back to a bubbling boil, added sweet corn and dried and crushed sweet peppers. I could have added celery, potatoes, and carrots too but I didn't have time for those to cook. Add 1/2 cup of cream when taken off heat.

Recipe:
1 lb alligator fillets cut into bite sized chunks
1 onion, diced
1 cup of frozen sweet corn
4 cups of chicken broth
seasoning salt
4-5 dried sweet peppers
4 T of butter
handful of flour
1/2 cup of cream or sour cream

Serves 4-5 generous bowls.

This would be really good with fried cornbread bites or hushpuppies too.

I want to add this note too, I made this as a challenge to my theory that I could make any soup with a meat of choice, broth, and vegetables on hand. It worked. It worked really well. We will not ever get sick of soup if I can change them up with the kind of variety a simple template like this offers.

Meat + broth + vegetables= soup.  20 minutes from start to finish.