Q&A: Pgy in 40’s, food prep, chillax’ing

Seasonings by my stovetop

(better in a dark place but we go through them fast)

Sometimes I get questions. I thought I’d start sharing some of my answers here, in case it might benefit others. I love hearing from you (no, you’re not “bugging” me), so feel free to ask. Just know it may take me some time to respond…and I may do so here 🙂

Q. Regarding the safety of carrying a pregnancy in a woman close to 40 years old…

A. I’ve had three babies in my 40’s. The youngest is 3 months old and I am 48. The pregnancy, labor, and births in my 40’s were by far better than in my late 20’s and 30’s. Yes, there are risks as you get older–I have two children with Down syndrome (not in a row). But I also personally know a woman who was in her twenties and her first child had Down syndrome, too. I have nine children, 3 months to 20 years, and all are very healthy otherwise (we’ve only had one “tiny” cavity, but many braces–probably due to my own health in childhood and in pregnancy before figuring it out). I attribute their good health to God, WAPF nutrition principles, chiropractic care, homeopathy and herbs.

I think there is a lot of emphasis on “just as long as the baby is healthy”. Well, sometimes, the baby isn’t despite doing everything “right” and although sad and difficult it doesn’t negate the beauty and blessing of that person. Furthermore, we have helped parents grieve the deaths of several children who were healthy at birth and still succumbed to the tragedy that sometimes befalls us all. There are no guarantees in life.

My advice? Take great care of your body the best you can and enjoy the fruit of your body, whatever age you may happen to be 🙂

Q. What makes you so chillax? Have you always been that way?

A. This one made me laugh. Chillax? Both the term AND what it means. I’m rather a perfectionist at heart but I’ve learned over time and in experience that (1) my in-box will still be full when I die and (2) people are more important. So if I have to choose between getting the housekeeping “just right” and keeping to a rigid “schedule”…or joining my kid to do a puzzle or take time with a friend for coffee…then I’m doing the puzzle and having coffee. My family knows I am way more relaxed when things are in order, so they suffer through my constant decluttering and we keep a daily/weekly chore chart going. Also, I believe anxiety, stress, and worry are not Holy Spirit-led, so “crazy busy” is not part of my vocabulary.

Q. I spend a good bit of time preparing food, feeding people, then cleaning up the mess. How do you handle food prep?

A. Currently I have older kids who do the majority of kitchen work, but I will answer this as to how I did it beforehand. Food prep happened all day long, to keep ahead of the meals. Typically we would get breakfast out, wipe up the table, and then homeschool. Once the kids were into their independent work, I’d have my toddler on his or her “playmat” by my feet where I rotated toys. That way, I could keep an eye on the toddler while cleaning up the kitchen (I cleaned up after every meal) and also doing something to prepare for later, whether that was feeding sourdough starters or chopping up mirepoix. Lunch was the same way: eat, clean up, do something: season the meat, or get out the ingredients (even if it were just canned goods–just line them up on the counter). In this case, by the time supper comes around, the meat is seasoned, the pasta and canned tomato is already on the counter, and I already have my mirepoix chopped. That evening, after cleaning up, I’ll again do something for the next day: soak beans, and/or prepare oatmeal. I find what makes food prep all that much easier is thinking and knowing ahead of time what the next meal is going to be. I’m a big fan of menu planning to save money and also to relieve that late afternoon “I don’t know what to cook” which, inevitably, leads to spending more money, not to mention meals lacking in quality nutrition.

Q. Your common breakfast foods? Lunch foods? Dinner foods?

A. Breakfast: soaked porridge/oatmeal/pancakes, eggs, kefir/buttermilk, sourdough toasts, hot buttered tea or coffee (I like my drinks creamy). Cod liver oil (we use this one). Lunches: almost always leftovers (I plan for that by making more supper than I think I need for that meal). We like to turn leftovers into “lunch bowls” by adding rice or pasta for a base to whatever the leftovers are. Then maybe a bit of shredded cheese on top, a ferment like carrots or sauerkraut, and a drizzle of olive oil. Sliced oranges. Glass of whole, raw milk. Suppers: usually meat based with plenty of vegetables. Potatoes more in the winter, salads more in the summer. Snacks: popcorn with butter and seasoning (powdered seaweed, powdered kale, garlic, nutritional yeast), or nut butter/hummus/guacamole with dips (carrots, chips, celery…), crackers with cheese, or a treat such as scones with butter and homemade jam or a bundt coffee cake with fresh cream. Desserts: occasionally. I do like baking cookies late in the evening 🙂

Blessings,

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