Confession #4 - Boy Body Parts

I know you must be wondering....

We had a boy... Zadok (Zay-dock)...at home

It's a boy...Hebrew name...but you guys are ...all "natural"

So did you circumcise or not?

We are........leaving the boy intact.

Pardon if I don't add a picture LOL!

Love, Carra

Confession #3 - Cure for Mastitis

Sugar drops immunity.  I love sugar. Mastitis is a breast infection. Confession: So I eat a bunch of sugar and boom - mastitis!  I've probably had mastitis about 10 times with the birth of Zade.  I got it the first time when I was pregnant with Faith and thought I was going to fold and start on some serious pain killers.  But gratefully God gave me the stamina and my midwife gave me the solution for healing.

So if you get mastitis (I hope you never do) or are pregnant or nursing and just eat really poorly, etc. you can also do this as a preventative.  I've "felt the tinge" and took supplements before bed and felt completely well by morning.

• Lecithin - One gel tab (big purple one)
• Vitamin D - 2000 iu
• Grapefruit Seed Extract - Two capsules
• Garlic - One capsule

And lay off of sugar completely for three days!  That's the hardest part for me.

Love, Carra

Confession #2 - Laundry

I would choose to do just about any other household chore other than laundry.  I realize that food is also just "passing through" but there's something particularly futile about laundry.

I do know what to do.  If I go right away and put away the one load out of the dryer, I would have no laundry backup.  I do that sometimes, but mostly....I keep doing whatever I was already up to.  I do have the girls put their own clothes away.  Gracie does 100%, Faith puts the clothes that I fold into her drawers and hangs the clothes (that I put on hangers) into her closet. Pete will jump in there when I'm just overwhelmed.

Speaking of laundry.....At least I don't have to worry about running out of laundry detergent.  I bought a five gallon bucket of Charlie's Soap over a year ago.  Here it is under the counter in the laundry room. It is still over half-way full.  If you're looking for a natural laundry detergent on the cheap - this is your stuff!  You can also use it as dishwasher powder.  However, if you have soft water, it will foam too much.  I learned this when I created a flowing stream of suds out of the dishwasher while on vacation.  The maintenance guy said, please use the powder we provide.   ....ok

I choose many other things to do before the laundry.  Right now, there are three baskets that are sitting in my bedroom.  ....and I'm blogging about it LOL!

Love, Carra

Confession #1 - Not as natural as you may think

Ok, I just wanna get this out there. I'm a bipolar granola mommy. I love sugar. I particularly love chocolate.
Natural side: I make my own chocolate syrup. How? Well, I'll tell you...

Chocolate Syrup


Half a cup of cocoa
Half cup water
Half cup of sweetener (honey, rapadura sugar or a combination)
One tablespoon of sorghum molasses
Pinch of salt.

1. Combine in a medium pot (fancy recipe people would say saucepan...I call it a pot).
2. Use a whisk to mix everything together.
3. Cook over medium heat. Stir pretty constantly or you'll burn the yummyness.
4. Once it comes to a rolling boil (gently puffing up as it boils, stir really well for about one more minute. Take if off the burner and let it cool off.
5. After it cools, pour it into a jar and keep refrigerated.

Add to whatever you like some chocolate on. Note: if you use 100% honey to sweeten, it will have a honey taste. The molasses helps through.It makes a fabulous chocolate milk!

Confessions of my NOT so natural side: so there are some serious weaknesses in my resolve...a bakery called Delicious near us - wow amazing - they make a classic yellow cake with a fudge icing...yum. Some of my other weaknesses include the milkshakes from Chick-fil-A, iced lattes from Java K's Coffee house, and giradelli semisweet chocolate chips right out of the package.

So there you have my first confession. I make my own cereal, eat veggies from a CSA, grind my own wheat.......and.......eat every crumb of that piece of cake.

Love, Carra