this moment

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words -capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Amanda Soule of Soule Mama)

what a trip

After being away from home and computer for 6 days,

I am ready to share the fantastical experience that was the first Sacred Pregnancy Retreat with you.

I have done many things in my life. 

I have become certified in many wonderful fields.

But never has my mind been so blown in only four days!

There is so much to speak about that it is hard to find a starting point.

I guess the best place to start would be with the ladies themselves.

40 beautiful, amazing, intelligent, and gifted women showed up expecting nothing and accepting all.

40 women with the desire to bring the conversation of birth back to a place of love.

40 women who believe that birth does not need to be feared.

40 women who hold the body, mind, and spirit of women to be Sacred and cherished.

These women came crashing together

to create what is the beginning of the change of birth in this world.

Each of us came to Sacred pregnancy with our skills to share.

Never knowing that we would be given so much.

It is not easy for me to explain the Sacred Pregnancy Retreat because, to me, it is so many different things.

On a technical level we had wonderful speakers and one very gifted musician.

We were honored with the sweet, strong, soulful, and fierce music of Nina Lee.

A woman by whose presence, voice, and songs, we were roused to fire,

quieted to stillness, and brought to tears.

Her creation of the Sacred Pregnancy song is,

in my opinion, a gift of self affirmation for women as they birth in all their power.

We heard the passionate words of Gena Kirby.

A woman who has changed how I look at the beautiful Mexican scarf/shawl called the Rebozo.

Because of her passion, intelligence, and fierce spirit, I can not see myself ever going to another birth without my trusty Rebozo close at hand.

We enjoyed the joyful spirit of Mary Oscategui.

A strong and gentle woman who guides parents through the birth preparation and sleep consultation among many other things) and who is the Founder, CEO, and  President of the International Maternity Institute.

We learned from the fantastic, intelligent, and funny Dr. Robert Biter.

A man who believes in the sacredness of birth so deeply that he has risked his career to make birthing a safe and Sacred experience for all women through his work with Midwives and through his birthing center(s); Babies by the Sea.

And we were all brought together by the dream birthed into reality of Anni Daulter.

A woman who can not be categorized beyond being called a true gift to the world.

She is blessed with so many unique gifts.

An author many times over, a loving mother, the creator of the organic baby food company Bohemian Baby, and now the creator of the Sacred Pregnancy Movement.

Because of Anni's dream to bring trust, intimacy, self love, beauty, and deep sacredness back into birth...

Because of her focus and dedication to changing the conversation and the language around birth...

Because of her shining heart, her keen mind, and he tireless work (day and night, sick or well), we now have in this world the Sacred Pregnancy Certification Retreats.

Following her heart and through her guidance,

we are creating a whole new style of Pregnancy and Birth Education.

Imagine the bliss of a meditation practice, the healing and growth of being with dear friends, and the helpful knowledge of a birth class wrapped up in beauty, sweet smells, and the gift of knowing you can do anything!

This, and so much more, is what the Sacred Pregnancy Instructor Retreats is training us

to bring to the world!

I now return home a Certified Sacred Pregnancy Instructor and I am setting up classes to start in January of 2013 in both Marin and Sonoma County.

Do not fret, though, if you can not make it to one of my classes because we have 39 beautiful and righteous women from Southern California to Finland just waiting to bring you into this

brilliant "whoa-mans"community!

Now prepared to take this to every woman that I meet, all I can say is thank you.

Thank you Anni Daulter, Christy Funk, Sylvia Poareo, and Krista Miracle for everything that you have taught us not just about mothers and birth but about our deepest selves.

Thank you to the Ojai Foundation for the use of the sacred and ancient land, so filled with beauty and strong energy, from which to do our work and Gay for all of the delicious, nutritious, and nourishing vegetarian food that she so lovingly catered to us lunch and dinner for our entire stay.

And finally thank you to all of the "Whoa-men", most especially the "Whomb Warriors". 

Ladies each and every one of you are a special gift to the world and I have the deepest gratitude that I can now call you all sister.

Cindy, Nina, Danielle, Lisa, Amy, Sylvia, Trisha, Maggie, Ivonne, Kim, Kelly, Kristen, Jennifer, Sara, Gabrielle, Kristen, Sara, Amanda, Crysta, Lindsey, Nina, Tnah, Andrea, Katherine, Lauren, Paivi, Melissa, "Tree",and Mary, my Sacred Pregnancy Elders sisters, I will carry you with me forever. 

All I can say is WOW what an experience!

I am ready for Level 2 training; I truly can't wait!

Any one who wants more information let me know. 

This is an experience, these are people,

and Sacred Pregnancy is a phenomenon that should be shared with everyone.

off to epicness

Today's the day!

I am super excited!

After much planning, and waiting, and nervous pacing, I am off for a week to complete my

Sacred Pregnancy Training!!!!!

Off to the Ojai Foundation for some beautiful women connecting!

This retreat is going to be 6 days of educating, thought sharing, and growth for myself and my birth work.

I can not wait to share this experience when I return!

Until then be well and have a beautiful week!

50 Days Of Gratitude - Day #15

Earth Day Festivities 

 

 A group effort to create cob bricks and little cob structures...wonderful way to teach important skills like self sufficiency in structure creation and working as a team!

 Cob brick frame and a freshly made brick.

 Washed Ashore is an amazing group that takes the yuck that washes up on the beaches and creates interesting and beautiful art.

We have a dear friend who is an event organizer and PR person. 

She puts together some of the loveliest festivals and I am always happy to lend a hand. This year she put on a wonderful Earth Day festival in Marin County and we had the pleasure of taking part in it.

I am so grateful to have gifted friends and fun times to be had.

50 Days Of Gratitude- Day #5

Fools Like Me

 monster kitty...

 ...and the bunny nebulae

 wait for it...

 HAA!

 Fools we know...

 these pups melt the heart

 best chicken puppet ever

 the most amazing animated puppet I have ever been near! it has intricately moving wings, a mouth that opens and closes, blinking eyes, limbs that move independently, and it is all man powered! super neatness!

 Fools we love...

Welcome April with your joyful spirit and warm weather. 

Welcome April with your laughter and trees to climb.

Welcome April with your fools running gleefully amongst eachother!

Happy April 1st!

Happy Fools Days and Fools Parade to all of my Occidental/ Sebastopol loves!

TreeHuggers

A close friend of the family and his coworkers have created a new series concept that has been developed and produced by Ronin Media House. In my humble opinion, I think this would be an amazing show. It would show people to see their trees and tree houses in a new, playful, creative light. I know they will succeed in this venture and I can't wait for more shows like this; then I might actually watch some television!

(if the video fails to play this is the link...http://vimeo.com/35247373)

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Alanna who was selected through Random Number Generation as the winner of a copy of "The Organic Family Cookbook" by Anni Daulter. Please email me your mailing information and your book will be sent to you right away! To everyone else, thank you so much for participating. I hope you all had a great time. I will be doing more cook alongs so stay tuned!

Book Review and Interview

Anni Daulter's newest cook book, "The Organic Family Cookbook", is definitely a breath of fresh air to the cooking community as well as to the world of family cooking. With page after page of delicious, savory, palette satisfying recipes, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone in the family; be they a vegetarian or a picky eater. Anni has found a way to bring to the table meals that bring the family together -from growing veggies with her toddlers to baking bread with her bigger boys- and encourages a family food culture that savors the joy of home cooking from the garden to the plate.

Ruth: What prompted you to write "the Organic Family cookbook"? 

Anni: I wrote this book because I wanted to reach more people with my message about eating healthier and living more simply. Its such an amazing opportunity to get to write books and so I take on the job very seriously. I want my books to be fun, informative, easy and beautiful. My hope with The Organic Family Cookbook was to invite people into my life and support them in making greener + more organic choices for their own families. 

Ruth: Of all of the recipes, which is your personal favorite and why?   

Anni: Oh my, that is not a fair question! I love so many of them...The garden tacos are fantastic and that was a fun little discovery...The banana nut frech toast (that is one of my favorite things to eat), and maybe theroasted chicken with dark chocolate dipping sauce and roasted veggies.

Ruth: What do you envision for you and your business for the future?  

Anni: I am doing many things...Next year I have 3 new books coming out:Naturally Fun Parties for Kids; Sacred Pregnancy ; 2-in-1 Baby Purees + Family Meals. I have a new site launching called Sacred Pregnancy that will accompany my SP book and I will be involved in promoting those two things. There are many ideas and plans in the pot so to speak, but I can say that I do have plans to open up my own restaurant and look forward to sharing my cooking and other ideas with the larger public very soon.

Remember to post a comment today to be in the drawing for the cookbook! Thank you all for participating!

Cook Along Day 3

Welcome to day three and the final recipe in the cook along. I hope that you have been enjoying yourself. I know this last recipe will leave you with a smile on your face! Happy Cooking!

Roasted Cinnamon Apple and Sweet Potato Galette

This dessert is so easy, yet it looks like a super-fancy treat. They say you eat with your eyes

first, and this recipe is a beauty, and the great taste follows. This galette has a light and flaky

crust, a sweet topping, and a little crunch from the almonds. I like to serve it after a light

meal, as the sweet potatoes and apples are really filling. It is best to use a mandoline slicer

to slice the sweet potato and apples. If you don’t have one, slice them as thinly as possible.

1 sweet potato, thinly sliced

1–2 Gala apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon coconut oil

4 tablespoons honey

1 sheet puff pastry, chilled, not frozen

½ cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for dusting

whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment

paper.

In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, place sweet potato and

apple slices, and drizzle with coconut oil and 1 tablespoon

honey. Roast for approximately 15–18 minutes.

While sweet potato and apple slices are roasting, roll

out puff pastry, ¼ inch thick, on a floured surface, into

about a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Create an edge on all

sides by rolling up some pastry. Poke a fork in the center

of the dough a couple of times. Move the dough to

the parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Remove roasted sweet potato and apple slices from

oven. Arrange slices all over dough, creating any pattern

you like with them, and add sliced almonds on top.

Keep the dough in one big piece. Drizzle with the rest

of the honey and bake on the prepared cookie sheet for

15–18 minutes, until pastry has puffed up and is light

and golden brown in color.

Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, let cool slightly, then cut

into squares and serve with whipped cream.

Serves 8–10

Don't forget to leave a comment in the comment box so that you will be entered in the drawing!

Cook Along Day 2

Welcome to day two of the cook along! I know those doughnuts were fantastic so now on to the main course recipe. Enjoy and happy cooking!

Mini Chicken Satay Bites with Spicy Peanut Dressing

on a Bed of Red Quinoa

This recipe is great for kids, because the chicken bites are a mini version of satay that can

be easily eaten. Add the super grain high-protein red quinoa, and you have a stellar dish.

Thai food has a wonderful way of marrying sweet and spicy flavors, and this is a classic that

everyone loves.
Chicken Satay:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts                                   1 garlic clove, whole and peeled
bamboo skewers                                                                1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons coconut oil                                                    1 pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder    
1 teaspoon coriander                                                           Spicy Peanut Dressing:
2 teaspoons turmeric powder                                                1/2 cup unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter
4 shallots, chopped                                                              1 tablespoon coconut milk
2 garlic cloves, diced                                                            2 teaspoons sesame oil
juice of 1 lime                                                                      1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce                                                      4 teaspoons rice vinegar
                                                                                          2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Quinoa:                                                                               1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 cup red quinoa                                                                  1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 cup vegetable broth                                                           1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup water                                                                         juice of 1 lime
  
To make the satay, cut chicken meat into small cubes, and thread them onto the skewers.

In a food processor, combine coconut oil, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, shallots, garlic, lime

juice, and oyster sauce. Pulse until it makes a pastelike mixture. Pour mixture into a container

large enough to hold all the skewers. Add the skewers and let them marinate in the refrigerator

for 2–4 hours.

Preheat grill while preparing the quinoa and the peanut dressing.

To make the quinoa, put quinoa, vegetable broth, water, garlic clove, butter, and pepper in a

pot. Cover and bring to a boil. After it comes to a rolling boil, turn down the heat to low, and

cook quinoa for about 10 minutes, until liquid has evaporated. Take out the garlic clove and set

quinoa aside until chicken is ready.

To make the dressing, in a food processor, mix all ingredients together and pulse until blended

to a smooth consistency. Set aside until chicken is ready.

Grill skewers for about 3–4 minutes on each side. To serve, spoon a bed of red quinoa on each

plate, add some chicken pieces on top, and put a bowl of the dipping sauce on the side.

Serves 4


Don't forget to leave a comment in the comment box so that you will be entered in the drawing!

Cook Along Day 1

Welcome to day 1 of the cook along. Have fun and enjoy today's yummy recipe!

Surprising Baked Buttermilk Donuts

Most folks hear donuts and they immediately think they are bad for you. Truthfully, most donuts

are not healthy, but this recipe is tasty, easy, and healthier than most. The kids like to sprinkle

the donut holes with cinnamon-sugar for an additional treat.

Cook’s Note: When baking donuts, it’s easier when you use a donut pan; however, you can use

a donut cutter.

½ cup warm buttermilk (not hot because it would kill the yeast)

½ cup warm whole milk (not hot)

1 package active yeast

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon hemp seed powder (use your coffee grinder)

1 teaspoon baking powder (recipe page 158)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup pure cane sugar

1½ teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup honey

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F and coat donut pan with an organic cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine warm buttermilk and milk with yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine flours, hemp seed powder, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and

cinnamon. Add this mixture to the milk mixture and stir together.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, butter, vanilla, and honey. Add to the flour-yeast mixture and

whisk together well.

Spoon batter into donut pan, filling each ring ²/³ full. Donuts will rise during baking. Bake in the

middle of the oven for about 8–10 minutes, until golden on bottom. You can also bake the donut

holes on a separate sheet pan at the same time, until golden brown.

Top the donuts with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar and serve warm. If you make the donut

holes as well, coat baked holes with melted butter and dust with cinnamon-sugar (1 part cinnamon

to 1 part sugar).

Makes 10–12 donuts

Don't forget to leave a comment in the comment box so that you will be entered in the drawing!

Come Play

Joy In Momming presents…

A Cook-Along a Book Review and a Give Away

Featuring recipes from “The Organic Family Cookbook” by Anni Daulter (author of  the wonderful books “Ice Pop Joy” and “Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers” and co-creator of The Bamboo Family Magazine)

With the weather growing cooler and the holidays upon us, many of us find ourselves longing for the warmth and coziness of the kitchen. The family kitchen is where so many wonderful and delectable memories are created. Where the smell of cookies baking brings on gleeful anticipation and laughter shared is in our hearts forever. Following in this time honored tradition, join me as I share 3 days and 3 recipes , courtesy of Anni Daulter’s newest cookbook, that are sure to bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.

As a special bonus, everyone who participates in the cook along and book review will be entered in the drawing where one lucky person will win a copy of Anni’s newest cookbook “The Organic Family Cookbook”!

Featured Recipes…

 Surprising Baked Buttermilk Donuts

 Mini Satay Chicken Bites with Spicy Peanut Dressing on a Bed of Red Quinoa

Roasted Cinnamon Apple and Sweet Potato Galette

When: November 18^th through the 21^st

Where: www.JoyInMomming.blogspot.com

Contact: joyinmomming@gmail.com

or

www.facebook.com/JoyInMomming

(Rules of Participation: The rules are simple. Each day, for the three days of the cook along, there will be a new recipe posted. To show that you are participating in the cook along, you must post a comment after each recipe post. On the day of the book review post a final comment; these are the names that the random drawing will be generated from. Please also go to “The Organic Family Cookbook” page on facebook and hit the like button. (For those of you without facebook accounts, send me a message and it will get worked out.) It is that simple! The winner will be posted on my blog the Monday after Thanksgiving.)