Eat. More. Kale.

" Deck the plates with piles of kale... falalalalalalalalala

Tis the season for immunity to fail... falalalalalalalalala! "

It truly is the season when everyone gets something - gifts abound, stockings are filled, and germs invade. I don't get a flu shot. I don't give the girls a flu shot. But we do what we can to give our immune systems the fuel they need. Here are my top cold-season must haves:

1. Elderberry juice (local, of course)

• It's not the cheapest little serum, but a little goes a long way. I give the girls each 1/2 tsp per day, usually mixed into their smoothie but they'll down a spoonful if needed. High in vitamin C and touted as a good antioxidant.

2. Kale

• It's green and lovely. We eat it in soups... I loaded lasagna with it... it makes the best fresh salad... and we're pretty much green-smoothie-a-day folk.
• Smoothie:
• 2 C organic fresh kale
• 1 C organic whole milk plain yogurt
• 2-3 organic oranges; peeled
• 1-2 organic frozen bananas
• 1 C organic frozen mango or pineapple
• Kale Salad (which we fondly call "Kay's Kale Salad", as she introduced us to it)
• 1/2 bunch organic fresh kale
• 2 T toasted whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/3 C finely grated parmesan
• Dressing:
• Juice of 1 organic lemon
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 1 garlic clove; pressed
• Pinch of kosher salt

3. Vitamin D

• John, the girls, and I all take Vitamin D supplements daily. We're getting less sunshine these days and a little boost can't hurt.

4. Sleep

• Non-negotiable. The girls are in bed by 7:30... usually asleep by 7:33. And if bedtime is bumped back, their daily rest often turns into a nap. If we know we're going to be up later than usual, we take a nap that afternoon as a proactive measure. I don't do tired - not me, not my kids. 

Knock on the Christmas tree, but we are doing good thus far! There has been a lot of coughing and sneezing at family gatherings the past couple of weeks and, while John got taken down for a few days, the rest of us are feeling a-okay, which is good because last Friday was a big deal: first piano recital! The girls are loving lessons and doing fantastic. They showed no signs of nerves or anxiety - marched up and played their two pieces each like pros. Elise, after seeing another student very nervously struggle to get started, turned to Gran and whispered "this must be her first recital". Yes, sweet child, just like it's your first one as well! And the day after, while riding in the car, Abby said "that piano recital was so much fun". 

Staples

I'm not referring to the type of staples that are sharp, metal, and dangerous to little ones. I'm talking about the meal-time staples that ALWAYS feed a little body better than anything you could nuke in the microwave or grab in a drive-thru. Good food can be simple and easy, and for nights like last when we had company stay a bit late and dinner was put on the back-burner (get it???), these meals are perfect. I stress about what goes into our girls' bodies - I have from the very beginning, literally. I stopped drinking, quit eating sushi, and steered clear of delicious but unpasteurized cheeses as soon as it was possible that I might be pregnant. During my pregnancy, I made sure I was getting all the right nutrients, plenty of water, fruits and veggies... you get the idea. So when dinner rolls around and I don't have a well-balanced meal prepared, having these staples gives me peace of mind knowing that those adorable little bellies have just what they need for their next adventure.

• Avocado - diced and served as is; full of good-fat and high in vitamin E
• Fresh fruit - kiwi, oranges, blueberries
• Yogurt with flaxseed - we keep a container of ground flaxseed in the freezer and add a tablespoon or so to yogurt everyday; the yogurt provides good bacteria and probiotics, the flaxseed has fiber and is a good source of omega-3s
• Eggs - scrambled, with some cheese
• Whole wheat tortilla roll-ups - peanut butter and honey are a fave here
• Super Porridge - I highly recommend the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. This book was fantastic during the 6-12 month range while I was making baby food (another post on that yet to come). The "super porridge" recipe is simply homemade hot cereal, made from whole grains: brown rice, barley, millet. I grind up a big batch each weekend, keep it in the fridge, and serve it regularly for breakfast as well as for dinner on nights when needed. It is incredibly hearty and I have encouraged any of my friends who have little ones that struggle with constipation to give it a whirl - one day during our first super porridge week, I changed EIGHT dirty diapers by 2:00 in the afternoon. Yes, that's 4 dirty diapers each. And now, well over a year later, the girls still LOVE this meal and I love knowing that they are starting their day with a bowl of pure goodness! Here are several of our porridge add-ins:
• • Mashed banana (sweetens nicely instead of using honey or agave nectar)
  • Raisins
  • For younger ones, not yet getting a lot of veggies from other sources, I often combined steamed/pureed spinach with pureed pears or mashed sweet potatoes with cooked/mashed apples
  • Flaxseed or wheat germ
  • Milk or yogurt
  • Berries (blueberries are requested daily)

On a side note, vitamins have always been a biggie in our house as well. The girls came home from the hospital already on vitamins high in iron to prevent an iron-deficiency that is common in preemies. We gave the girls a daily liquid multivitamin everyday for their first 2 years and they have just switched to an organic chewable that includes probiotics and vegetable compounds. Now, based on how heartily Abby and Elise eat, I honestly don't worry about what might be lacking but a vitamin is a good security blanket, just to be safe. And for those little ones who aren't yet getting everything, I sure don't see where a vitamin can hurt.