Conscious Mom

The mainstream media has finally gotten around to reporting on the famine gripping Ethiopia. Here is CNN's story. The New York Times describes the reasons behind the famine, and discusses other countries in the Horn of Africa affected by it. The Washington Post has a good article, too. Every news story features a family and child suffering to try to put a human face on the catastrophe. This post is no different. Last March we were in the affected region when we visited Maia's birth family; here are some of the people we met while there, some of the people that now might not have enough food or water: ...

I just found out that today is Bloggers Unite for Human Rights day. It's almost the end of the day, and in some parts of the world it is already tomorrow, yet I don't want to let this event pass by without participating, and bringing the famine in Ethiopia to people's attention. Ethiopia is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts it has had in a long time. The death of livestock, failure of crops, and rising worldwide food prices are leading to massive starvation in the southern part of the country. Warming trends due to climate change are said to be causing the drought. A few days ago I blogged about this from a personal ...

Sometimes I wonder if my heart will ever be big enough to embrace the extremes of human experience. Some friends are very close to becoming parents. (If you think I am talking about you, yes, I am!). The pace of referrals of children in our agency's Ethiopia program seems to have picked up and my friends are now much closer to beginning or enlarging their families. I am so excited for them I could jump out of my socks. Literally. When they announce their referrals, you will see some medium-sized women's socks floating down from northern New England- those will be mine. That's the one extreme. On the other is this: Ethiopia: WFP Cuts Assistance to Malnourished Children, Mothers. Apparently the ...

Mix together: 5 t yeast 1 C whole wheat flour 2 ½ C warm water 2 T olive oil Let sit 10-15 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix: 2 1/2 - 3 C whole wheat flour 1 C spelt flour 1 t baking powder 1 t salt 1/3 cup chopped sunflower seeds 1/3 cup chopped pumpkin seeds Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ones, 1 cup at a time. When it forms a dough and no more flour can be added, turn onto a floured surface and knead 5-10 minutes. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and let sit until at least doubled in size. Knead again, then put into bread pan, let rise about ½ ...

teaching Little M the sign for 'cookie' probably wasn't such a great idea.

My husband cooked today's brunch: tofu scramble, home fries, and sauteed spinach. The recipes are closely guarded secrets!

Today it was very hot so I wanted a light meal we could eat cold. I also wanted to take advantage of the delicious fruit that is in season right now. Raspberry-chocolate chip muffins This is adapted from a Wild Oats recipe. Mix these together: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups white flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice 1/2 teaspoon salt In a separate bowl, mix: 1/2 cup sunflower or canola oil 3/4 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 cup unsweetened soy milk Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then stir in: 1 1/2 cups raspberries and 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli semisweet) Spoon into greased muffin tins, or tins with cupcake liners ...

So why Sunday brunch? I like the idea of breaking bread together. My favorite memories of my childhood (and of community-living in my early adulthood) were of eating together. No matter how disparate and hectic our days were, we'd come together over a meal, relax, and reconnect with one another. My grandparents had a huge kitchen table and it was routine for family and friends to stop by and join a meal. As I got older I'd help my grandmother by setting the table and doing some of the cooking (mainly dessert, I had my priorities). Now my little family always eats dinner together, but only rarely do people join us, such is modern life. And we eat baked potatoes ...

I've started a new category: kid causes. Kid causes will feature small charities and non-profits that are doing good things for kids (and sometimes adults) around the world. The first to be featured is Ethiopia's Finest, a non-profit selling fair trade Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, so it is like a coffee drinker's Mecca. The coffee is delicious, and the coffee available here is purchased from farmers who are paid a living wage and use sustainable agricultural techniques. The proceeds from the sales are donated to orphanages in Addis Ababa, including the one Maia lived in for three months.

This is the second in the Sunday Brunch series. Today it was more of a breakfast than brunch because of our schedule today. Zucchini muffins are a great way to sneak more veggies into a meal, and the smoothies add more protein. Apple and apricot oatmeal, zucchini-walnut muffins, and banana-raspberry smoothies Apple and apricot oatmeal For each serving, use 1/2 cup dry oatmeal 1/4 cup dried apples and apricots, mixed together dash teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon molasses or honey An hour before (or overnight), soak the dried fruit, then drain. Follow directions on the box for the oatmeal, then stir in other ingredients. Zucchini-walnut muffins This is adapted from a Wild Oats recipe. Mix these together: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 ...