Holistic Moms Network of San Jose

Our Blog is Moving!!!

2011-10-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

We are moving our blog to a permanent home, www.HMNSanJose.org!

Please check out our new home and let us know what you think. With our move, we will be able to customize our blog to be more user friendly, provide more information, and (best of all) - It'll look nicer.

We're really excited and hope you like it!

Thanks,
Jen & Jessica
HMN San Jose Co-leaders

October Meeting: Open House

2011-09-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Join the Holistic Moms Network in celebrating Holistic Living Month!

We're celebrating natural living and parenting all month long with special events - live and virtual - where you can find support, learn about holistic choices for your family and even win great prizes!

The San Jose Chapter will be kicking off the month by hosting an open house on October 4th at 7pm at the Cambrian Branch Library, 1780 Hillsdale Ave, San Jose, CA.

We encourage everyone to come and check out Holistic Moms Network, meet our members, win prizes, eat yummy food, and have fun. We have tons of great raffle prizes, plus a grand prize of a year's supply of Organic Valley Milk and Pamela's Products cookies!

Invite your neighbors, friends, and family to join us and meet like minded individuals. We look forward to seeing you there!

August Meeting Change: Cool Season Vegetable Gardening

2011-07-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

PLEASE NOTE: MEETING CHANGE!!!

Join Holistic Moms Network of San Jose learn tips and ideas on Cool Season Vegetable Gardening. I've scheduled a Santa Clara County Master Gardener to come present to our group (see description below).

The meeting will be at our regular time and location, Cambrian Library, 1780 Hillsdale Ave, San Jose, Aug. 2nd, 7pm. We'd like to start as close to 7 as possible, but feel free to sneak in late if you need to!

Cool Season Vegetable Gardening

Late summer is the time to start planning and seeding for your cool season vegetable garden. Join Master Gardener Sue Zaslaw for a presentation on how to grow cool season vegetables in Santa Clara County. The Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County is part of a non profit organization of trained volunteers with the Univ of CA Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program.The talk will cover the types of vegetables that grow well during the cool season as well as tips on growing them successfully.

May Monthly Meeting: Parenting During the Tween/Teen Years Panel of Speakers

2011-05-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

Join us on May 3rd when our panel of experts will help us understand the developmental changes, healthy self development, effective communications and boundary settings for tweens/teens. Our panel of experts will discuss both the mother and father's perspective, both from a clinical and personal viewpoint.

We look forward to seeing you there!

In health,

HMN San Jose Leadership Team
Jennifer Oh
Jennifer Rozenhart
Christina Byard

March Meeting -- Holistic Approach Toward Immune Health

2011-02-28T06:55:00.001-08:00

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents. . .
"Holistic Approach Towards Immune Health:
Discussion about Immune Health, Nutrition, and an Integrative View of Vaccinations."

Join us as we welcome our guest speaker, Dr. Yen Tran, N.D. , to present and discuss a holistic view of immune health and the role vaccines play in it.

Dr. Yen Tran is a Naturopathic Doctor that focuses on
transforming health simply and naturally with naturopathic medicine. After training and studying with a focus on women's health, homebirth and pediatrics, Dr. Tran graduated from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona. Well regarded in her field, Dr. Tran is recommended as a vaccination counselor in Dr. Sears' "The Vaccine Book." Dr. Tran practices at the Natural Wellness Clinic in Sunnyvale (www.naturaltran.com).
We appreciate her taking the time to present on this confusing yet important topic to new parents. Your questions will be welcome following the presentation.

Please feel free to pass this invitation on to other parents whom you feel would be interested in learning a naturopath's perspective on issues of immunity. We would appreciate that anyone planning to come RSVP via this Pingg invitation so that we may prepare the room accordingly.

We look forward to seeing you there!

In health,

HMN San Jose Leadership Team
Jennifer Rozenhart
Christina Byard
Jennifer Oh

November Meeting: Self Defense Seminar for Moms and Kids

2010-10-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents. . .
Self Defense Seminar for Moms and Kids

Learn tips and techniques to protect yourself from a 3rd Degree Black Belt and the 2006 CA State Champion in Weapons and Forms. Master Chris Black, Chief Instructor for Victory Martial Arts Willow Glen, will be teaching us self defense techniques that will empower us to protect ourselves. This is a great way to introduce yourself to the martial arts and learn more about Tae Kwon Do. This seminar is a hands on event, so casual or work out clothes and gym shoes are preferred.

Tuesday, November 2nd, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Cambrian Branch of the San Jose Library, Community Room
1780 Hillsdale Avenue, San Jose, CA

Hope to see you there!

October Meeting: Attachment Parenting the Maturing Child

2010-09-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents. . .

"Attachment Parenting the Maturing Child:

Featuring guest speaker, Justine Saffir, Director of Sunnymont Parent Co-Op Nursery School"

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Cambrian Branch Library Community Room

1780 Hillsdale Avenue, San Jose, CA

Attachment Parenting newborns and babies often comes naturally to many Holistic Moms. Babywearing, breastfeeding on demand, co-sleeping and other AP techniques just seem to make sense and allign with a mother's instinct. As the child matures and develops her own will, however, many find the new challenges of parenting with attachment in mind much more difficult to address.

Join us as we host our guest speaker, Justine Saffir, Director of the Sunnymont Parent Co-Op in Campbell, as she speaks on Attachment Parenting the Maturing Child. Justine will address common questions such as how to provide positive discipline, diffuse sibling rivalry and how to strengthen the parent/child bond during the school years. Please bring your questions and a friend.

Hope to see you there!

A review of a local sustainable farm; Early Bird Ranch

2010-09-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a fantastic day visiting the Early Bird Ranch at Half Moon Bay (actually, Pescadero) with fellow HMN member, Lenore. Lenore had heard about fresh, locally pastured chickens being available there and pre-ordered some chickens for the fall harvest. We made a day of it by tripping out to the coast with our families to pick up her chickens and speculate on some Thanksgiving turkeys.

May I say that I am really excited about these farmers! Kevin and ShaeLynn Watt are a young couple who "risked it all" by abandoning their graduate studies in Comparative Political Science and Animal Behavior to pursue sustainable bird farming. Adorned in a long, blue butcher's apron, Kevin Watt welcomed us to the farm and offered us a tour of the harvesting facilities. He and several family members had just finished up the very first harvest on their new farm. Though their bodies were fatigued from hours of bird butchery, their eyes and voices showed signs of the rushing adrenal effects of success. Their pride was apparent and well-deserved. Some buckets of blood were waiting for their trip to the compost pile but, otherwise, there wasn't much indication of the day's work remaining around the slaughter tent. We had just missed the last bird of the day by 30 minutes. I admit that I wish I had been able to see the whole process personally. They promised me the opportunity in the future.

In five weeks, another 100 to 200 birds will meet the end of their stress-free existence in this sparkling example of an open-air slaughterhouse (portable tent, really). The blue and white striped tent covered a raised floor of wood slats. The slats, Kevin explained, are designed to allow for any solids or splashes from the harvesting process to fall through and return to the soil. The stainless steel counters, sinks and scalding pots were sanitized and drying in the late summer sun. This idyllic scene is quite a contrast to the industrial chicken slaughterhouses that can turn stomachs as well as former carnivores into strict vegetarians.

When Kevin's interests strayed from politics to farming birds, he decided to do it right. He interned and worked for a year and a half with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, the admirable chicken farmer featured in Food, Inc. After learning from the best, Kevin and his girlfriend began dreaming of starting a farm of their own. Kevin and his now wife, ShaeLynn, pooled all of their savings and scrupulously budgeted how they could afford to rent a 10 acre farm in Pescadero. The land they selected is gorgeous, located in a perfect, pastoral valley just inland of the coast. Each bird is respectfully raised from chick to maturity on the farm, spending their days in the pasture. Their diet is supplemented with organic feed. The Watts are enthusiastic and bursting with ideas on how to not only take from their newly acquired land but to give back to it as well. They are consciously rotating different animals throughout their acreage to ensure that the soil is growing in sync with their wards.

Each bird at the Early Bird Ranch is dispatched by hand using a very humane and efficient method; the main artery and vein of the chicken or turkey are cut, causing instantaneous brain death. The windpipe, however, is kept intact so that the heart may continue beating long enough to pump the remaining blood from the bird. The carcasses are then scalded, plucked and bagged for you to take home that day. These are the freshest birds you can get!

Early Bird Ranch is located at 4900 Cloverdale Road in Pescadero, right off of Hwy 1. Their chickens and turkeys are available during the dry seasons of the year for about $4 a pound. Lenore's chickens were all a very healthy 5 pounds each! These are not scrawny chickens. They harvest every 5 weeks or so as the new batch of birds mature. If you would like to join their mailing list or reserve a turkey for Thanksgiving, contact them via email at kevin@earlybirdranch.com or shaelynn@earlybirdranch.com

View their website with more details at www.earlybirdranch.com

Kevin and ShaeLynn would love to have us out for a tour of the facilities with the kiddies. They won't be able to give us a full tour when they are harvesting, but you are welcome to watch them work when you pick up your birds. Would anyone like to tour this farm and then go and get some pumpkins down the road in October? Post a comment if you'd like to join us.

Christina Byard
Co-Leader, Holistic Moms Network of San Jose

September Meeting

2010-09-02T08:33:00.001-07:00

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents. . .

"An Evening of Natural Beauty"

Want to join us for an evening of beauty? Wondering what natural and holistic beauty products and treatments others love? Join us for a fun evening of hanging out, pampering, and learning what others use, make, and/or recommend. Bring your favorite beauty products and/or remedies to show and share. We'll try each other's favorites and/or learn what others recommend.

We'll be making a wonderful facial moisturizing cream from the "Doing it Gorgeously" book by Sophie Ulliamo. (http://www.gorgeouslygreen.com/) Bring a small jar to take the cream home in and a very modest donation to offset ingredient costs.

Click on the blog post title "September Meeting" to R.S.V.P. via the evite.

Hope to see you there!

August Monthly Meeting Info

2010-07-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

"Alternative Education:
Exploring Waldorf, Montessori and Homeschooling Philosophies"
Ever wondered what the differences are between the Waldorf and Montessori approaches? Have you considered Homeschooling but are not sure where to start? Join our panel of Educators for a presentation/discussion on the different education options available in the South Bay. Representatives from local schools and homeschool cooperatives will be in attendance to answer our many questions. Feel free to invite friends that may be interested in this topic and introduce them to HMN.

We are always happy to see new faces at our meetings. If you are not yet a member, please come to a meeting or two to check us out before deciding if our group meets your needs. We would love to meet you.

Hope to see you there!

Recipe of the Week

2010-05-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Contributed by member, Jennifer Meegan.

I was feeling a bit desperate and uninspired tonight....so decided on the heels of making the chocolate coconut cupcakes that I'd throw something together using coconut and whatever I could scrounge in my fridge/pantry. This resulted in this coconut mango salmon dish and this coconut garlic green bean dish. The salmon in particular was deelish.

Jen's Baked Coco-Mint-Mango Salmon

1 wild salmon fillet (whatever size fits your family)
3/4 cup cream (from a cow) or coconut milk/cream
4-5 heaping tablespoons coconut cream/meat (I used the Tropical Traditions brand. You can also use freshly opened coconut)
2 tablespoons garam masala (I make my own: http://www.ochef.com/r75.htm)
1 ripe mango, sliced into bite-sized chunks
a few fresh mint leaves, chopped
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350
Place salmon in baking dish
Pour cream and place coconut cream/meat, garam masala, mango, chopped mint leaves, in baking dish over salmon
Stir gently and pour cream mixture over top of salmon
Salt to taste
Cook for about 25-30 minutes depending on how well you like your salmon done and the caliber of your oven. I recommend "basting" the salmon with the sauce at least two or three times while it's baking.
You could probably eat this with rice to get the most out of the sauce

Jen's Coconut-Garlic Green Beans2 tablespoons coconut oil
1-2 lbs fresh green beans
garlic powder or fresh minced garlic (about 2 teaspoons)
handful of unsweetened coconut flakes
salt

Place oil in skillet and put on medium heat
Place green beans in skillet and cover, cook for about 10-15 minutes until beans are crisp and bright green
Throw in coconut flakes and garlic, toss and recover, cook for about 5 more minutes
Salt to taste, toss, remove from burner, and enjoy!

Kid-Conscious Recipe of the Week

2010-05-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a great gluten-free and healthy recipe for Mothers' Day Brunch, courtesy of Danielle Hunt. Whip them up tonight and freeze/refrigerate them so that your kids can just pop them in the oven tomorrow while you sleep in.

Buttermilk Currant Scones

1 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1 cup almond meal
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup currants ( sub anything you want even GF choc chips!)
several pinches of turbinado sugar

Combine all the dry ingredients together and stir them well. Sift them into a large bowl. Set aside.

Cut the butter into small pieces, dropping the pieces into the flour mixture as you cut. The pieces should be no larger than your thumbnail. Once you have cut all the butter, combine the butter pieces and dry ingredients with a pastry fork (or your fingers). Once they are all blended well, and the mixture feels like bread crumbs, then you are done.

Combine the buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid in. Slowly, stir the liquid in a counter-clockwise pattern, from the center out, until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the wet. When everything feels combined for the first time, stop. Add the currants.

Put the dough into the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. This is important.

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Take the scone dough out of the refrigerator. Divide the dough in half with your hands, and then divide it again, until you have a ball about the size of the palm of your hand. Flatten the ball, slightly, and shape it into a scone-like shape. (That might mean something different to each person.) Sprinkle the top with a bit of turbinado sugar, and put that scone onto parchment paper (or silicone mat) on top of the baking sheet. Repeat until you have finished with all the dough.

Slide the baking sheet into the heated oven and bake the scones for fifteen to eighteen minutes. (In our oven, it was more like eighteen.) The scones are done when you can put in a toothpick and have it come out clean, as well as when the top is warm and browned. Allow the scones to cool for about five minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes about eight scones.

Kid-Conscious Recipe of the Week

2010-04-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yana Connors submitted this recipe that both her and other members' kids have adored. Coconut flour is a wonderfully nutritious alternative to traditional grain flours. It's great if your family has gluten/grain sensitivities or if you just love coconut like I do!

Raspberry Chocolate Coconut flour Cupcakes

makes 8-10

1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla (make sure your vanilla is gluten free, if needed)
1/2 cup of honey or coconut sugar paste (maple syrup would work too, I bet)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1-Grease muffins tins, or put in muffin papers.

2-Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

3-Add the wet ingredients (but not the raspberries) and whisk well, until all lumps are gone.

4-Fold in the raspberries, and fill muffin tins, 2/3 full.

5-Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top if firm and a toothpick comes out clean, when poked in the middle of the muffin. Take out of the muffin tins and cool on cooling racks

Tagged as: Dairy Free, Gluten Free

May 4th Meeting: Holistic, Yet Frugal: Living Well on a Budget

2010-04-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

As mindful moms shopping on a budget, making the transition to holistic living can seem like a monumental investment in time and money. As our standards for quality and healthfulness go up, so, it seems, do the associated price tags. With creativity and a like-minded community, the budget barrier to living well can be overcome. Keeping your home and family healthy need not leave your bank account in the red.

Join us for our May meeting to learn the techniques of frugally financing a holistic lifestyle. Co-leader and bargain finder extraordinaire, Jennifer Oh, will present her extensive bag of tricks and lead the discussion to follow. Please bring your own ideas to contribute. Bring a friend to this meeting -- especially the ones who are afraid to enter "Whole Paycheck" for fear of losing their life savings. We can help!

**Please note that this meeting is taking place at the Rozenhart Family Chiropractic Offices since our Library Community Room is unavailable this month.

See you Tuesday!

Kid-Conscious Recipe of the Week

2010-04-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Since we have so many great cooks in our membership rolls, I am adding a new feature to the blog; Recipe of the Week. Through this weekly feature, we can share our tried-and-true, family friendly, nourishing recipes. I am always looking for a fresh approach to presenting nutritious food to my family. I would appreciate that you send your recipe submissions to my email at holisticfreckles@sbcglobal.net. These can be family recipes, links from your favorite blog, excerpts from recipe books or your own creation. When you find something that works, please share it with us!

I'll kick this off with something I've been talking about on the loop. Fresh whole wheat sandwich bread. When I first got my breadmaker as a gift from my in-laws, I wasn't exactly sure about it. I liked the thought of less work in the kitchen, but breadmaking was one of the tasks I didn't see as a chore. I enjoyed the mental and physical therapy that kneading the dough provided. Taking something from a chaotically sticky mass to a smooth and manageable ball was so satisfying. This was, however, when I made bread only on special occasions. Once I started truly making bread on a daily basis, I embraced and came to adore the convenience of my breadmaker.

When I first began baking bread in the breadmaker, each and every recipe I tried turned out as a heavy brick. Whole wheat? Forget it. I finally got a recipe from Co-Leader, Jen Oh, and had my first semblance of success. I used it for months before I came across a technique for a lighter loaf involving the additions of natural acidity, starch and gluten. I began playing around with this technique and eventually developed this recipe. The pictures I'll post show the amazing difference in rise and crumb between the two recipes using the same amount of flour and water. If you like the flavor of wheat bread but loathe the heavy texture, you will love this bread!

Original, unmodified recipe (pictured left)
1 cup warm water
3 cups whole wheat flour (I used freshly ground,
   sprouted white wheat) If you want a less dense
   loaf, use half/half white to whole wheat flour.
3 T Coconut Oil (or your preferred oil)
2 T Honey(or 3T of your preferred dry sugar)
1 T Kosher Salt (or 1.5 tsp. fine sea salt)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

Mix all ingredients in breadmaker for 5 minutes, turn off machine. Add yeast to top of mixture and set timer for machine to complete its "whole wheat bread" setting in 9 hours. This will give the dough time to soak and absorb the liquids.

Christina's Light and Fluffilicious
100% Whole Wheat Bread (pictured left)

I am writing this recipe for a breadmaker with a timer to delay the start of the dough/baking process. You can certainly make this recipe without the assistance of a breadmaker, but you may not get the same results due to not being able to soak the dough overnight without the yeast. Experiment with the timing of adding the yeast and see how it goes.

Add to bread machine in this order:

1 Cup warm water
2 T Orange Juice
4 T Ghee or Butter or Coconut Oil
2 T Honey or Malted Barley Syrup
3 T Vital Wheat Gluten (Bob's Red Mill is commonly available, even at Safeway)
Heaping 1/4 Cup Dried Potato Flakes (or 2 T potato flour -- again Bob's Red Mill makes one)
2 T Buttermilk Powder (or nonfat milk powder)
1 T Kosher Salt (or 1.5 tsp. fine sea salt)
3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (again, I used freshly-ground, sprouted white wheat, but King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour is a good substitute)

*At this point, start the machine mixing. Let the machine mix until all ingredients are moistened and well incorporated (about 5 minutes). Stop the machine and reset. I set the machine on "Whole wheat," 1.5 pound loaf with a light crust. I then set the timer so that the finished bread will be ready at 8:00 in the morning, when I am up and getting breakfast ready.

NOW, don't forget to add:

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

I add the yeast at the end so that it will not activate during the overnight soaking process. When the machine starts in the morning, the yeast will mix thoroughly into the dough and begin the rising process. When the bread finishes baking, take it immediately out of the machine and empty loaf onto breadboard to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Christina

Also featured on Pennywise Platter

April Meeting Recap: Emergency Preparedness

2010-04-08T15:29:00.001-07:00

This month's meeting on Emergency Preparedness was so enlightening. With all of the earthquakes that have occurred in the last few months, the timing couldn't have been better. We had two representatives from the SJ Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) come to speak with us and go over what to do in the event of various emergencies and what to have prepared in case of emergencies.

We learned different emergency scenarios: fire, hazardous materials, earthquake, etc., creating a family plan and how to handle these situations.

Some really great quick tips:

Know where your gas, water and power meters are and how to shut them off, if necessary.

Discuss with your family what you would do during an emergency and create a family plan of action.

Create emergency kits - GO Bags - for various places: work, car, and in your bedroom. These bags are not your entire emergency kit, but the supplies you need immediately: shoes, glasses, clothes, flashlight. Imagine if it were the middle of the night and an emergency happened. You'd need to be able to grab a bag and run. You won't have time to grab clothes, shoes, glasses, et cetera. The "Go Bag" would be indispensable.

Make sure your kids know what to do and how to react. A common reaction for kids is to hide and in an emergency, this would be the scariest thing for a parent. Explaining and teaching them from a young age how to react and what to do during an emergency could save their lives.

Have an out of state contact. This would be the point person that ALL family members could contact and let know they are ok. Most often, local phone service is cut off (to keep lines open for emergency personnel), it will be easier to call out of state than locally. Let your out of state contact also have copies of any vital documents: passport, drivers license, insurance papers, etc (scanned on a USB stick is great).

Carry a photo of your loved ones in your wallet. In the event of an emergency, you will have a photo of your loved ones, in the event you need it. It is much easier to find someone when you have a photo for people to look at than just a verbal description. Cell phones may lose battery power, so an old fashioned photo is still best.

For a complete guide on how to create a family plan and what should be in your emergency kit, visit
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/emergencyservices/EHFDP/EHFDPCh2.pdf

One of the biggest concerns I have regarding an emergency is dealing with the aftermath. An emergency happens and you are required to eat rations. A majority of people survive actual emergencies only to get ill afterward due to lack of nutrition, stress, fatigue, et c etera. It is vital to keep the body as healthy as possible. Most MRE's (Meal, Ready to Eat) are highly processed. Yes, they are fortified with vitamins and minerals...and lets face it, if it's all you have, you'd eat it...but they are not as nutritious as what most of eat day to day. The best thing to do is to dehydrate, store bulk grains, beans, etc, or to look for healthier MRE alternatives. Here are a few links to some options we have found on the internet.While most are expensive - they do give you a starting point and making your own kit will save substantially, but these links are a great starting point.
http://survivalacres.com/
http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/emergency-disaster-preparedness-nutrition-survival-food-dehydrated-meal-mre-pack-supplies-kit
http://www.disasterstuff.com/

Posted by Jennifer Oh

March Garden Planning Meeting Recap

2010-03-03T19:04:00.001-08:00

Tuesday night's meeting was a great one! Not only did I get to get out of the house after a crummy, rainy, shut-in day with the kids, I got to talk gardening with some very wise women! Everyone brought their favorite gardening books along with any other community info they had. Some books that our members recommend are:

The Backyard Homestead, Carleen Madigan
Golden Gate Gardening, Pam Pierce
Turtle Tree: Biodinamic Seed Initiative
How to Grow More Vegetables, John Jeavons
Square Foot Gardening

First, the best news -- our official "frost date" in the Silicon Valley was February 23rd. That means that we can begin planting with a reasonable expectation that our little seedlings won't freeze overnight before establishing themselves. This is just a guideline, however, so don't hold me accountable if you go on a planting escapade this weekend and we have a cold snap! Many of us have started our seedlings indoors and will begin "hardening them off," or, adjusting them to the great outdoors, in 4-6 weeks or so. If you don't want to bother with seedlings, organic starts are available at several local nurseries and are safe to plant in the ground after the first week or two of April.

Everyone had some great ideas to share. Jessica W. has had really positive experience with a local program in San Jose called "La Mesa Verde." This is a non-profit organization that will assist San Jose residents in establishing their own organic vegetable gardens in their front or back yards. Not only will they come out to consult with you on your prospective plot, this organization's volunteers (including the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County) will help you build raised beds, irrigate and plan your garden for the season. They provide free classes to grow your knowledge of gardening along with your vegetables. Throughout the season, a Master Gardener will check in with your garden to monitor progress/problems. I think that this is a wonderful way to bring home gardening back into the community's focus -- especially among those of us who believe organic produce to be beyond our budgets. This FREE program (can you believe it?) is limited to 100 families, so if you or someone you know is interested in participating, please contact them at (408) 278-2160.

Another wealth of resources in our community is the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. Click on the link to find some interesting -- and free -- classes surrounding gardening and sustainability.

A favorite spot of mine is Common Grounds Garden Supply and Education Center in Palo Alto. This is the little shop that supports the Common Grounds Research Garden at Stanford. They have a fantastic selection of heirloom, open-pollinated seeds and starts as well as books, supplies and a very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Click on the link for their schedule of classes and events.

I managed to finish building the Salad Table (click for construction plans) I had hoped to demonstrate on Monday night in about 4 hours. I think that the salad table and pots are great options if you want to grow just a little something but don't have space or time to allot to a full-fledged garden. I think that it will be well worth the minimal effort it took to build and I really am looking forward to having a beautiful and easy to access plot of greens right outside my kitchen door. Check out the University of Maryland Professor who designed the table showing Martha how it's done on this video.

If you would like some ongoing help with your garden planning and maintenance, check out www.groveg.com. They have a free trial period during which you may use their software to plan out your garden and get tips on planting.

We spent the evening exchanging resources, ideas and seeds. Our gardening goals for the season ranged from the simple "I wanna grow stuff" to the ambitious "retro-fitting the front yard for veggies." No matter where we are in our gardening path, I hope that we all get the reward of at least one yummy veggie by summer's end. Please post any tips or questions you encounter on the email loop as they come up. Thanks to Kimberly N. for bringing seeds to exchange I had been wishing I had bought this year. I am excited about mini persian pickles and sweet peppers. It was great to see faces that we know through the email loop but had never met in person. We hope that you can all make it to a meeting soon!

Happy Gardening!

Christina

March Monthly Meeting: Vegetable Garden Planning

2010-02-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

We have had several requests that we get together and plan our vegetable gardens for the springtime, so let's do it!

March is the perfect time to start our seeds and prepare our beds for the season. We'll let you know about a wonderful program in San Jose that helps new gardeners get started growing their own fresh, organic vegetables as well as a demonstration on how to make your own salad table for growing greens outside your kitchen door. General discussion on what works and doesn't in the bay area and tips for gardening in small spaces.

If you are a seasoned gardener, bring ideas and resources to share.
If anyone wants to swap seeds, bring your extras and we can exchange. You can't beat your own yard for eating locally!

When: Tuesday, March 2nd, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Rozenhart Family Chiropractic
4620-B Meridian Avenue
San Jose, CA 95124

Free Screening of the Documentary, "Food, Inc"

2010-01-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents
a free screening of
"Food, Inc."

Please join us for the screening followed by a discussion of the film! Please note that we are holding the screening at a different location than our monthly meetings. We have secured the community room at the Cambrian Branch of the San Jose Public Library (1780 Hillsdale Avenue, San Jose)
for this event. The room's capacity is 100, so make sure to R.S.V.P. soon!

How much do we really know about the food we buy at the local supermarket and serve to our families?

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

February, 2010 Monthly Meeting

2010-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents. . .

LINDA S. TJIPUTRA, MBA, CFP

Money Management: A Woman’s Perspective

When: Tuesday, February 2nd at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Rozenhart Family Chiropractic
4620-B Meridian Avenue
San Jose, CA 95124

Please R.S.V.P. at the Evite

This is a topic that we all can relate to -- money management! Our financial needs and priorities completely change when we become mothers. Learn how to organize and plan your finances for the future. Join us for a presentation by Linda S. Tjiputra, MBA, CFP followed by questions and discussion. Hope to see you there.

A sample of topics covered in presentation:

The “What If” question.
Taxes: Strategies to minimize your taxes :
1. Before and After-tax investing
2. Tax-deferred vs Tax-free investment
Retirement Planning
Sending Your Kids to College: What you need to know:
1. Funding Strategies
2. Which Strategy is best for you?
Estate Planning: Beneficiary Reviews, Titling your Accounts, Deed of the House, Living Trust vs. Will.

January Meeting Details

2009-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Sex, Cries, and your same old mate:
A Talk about Sex After Baby

In this discussion, you will be able to talk, laugh, share, and perhaps, problem solve about the realities of being a new parent but also a loving, romantic partner. Studies have shown that a for a majority of couple's satisfaction with their relationship goes down after the first baby is born. Let's talk about some of the effects of birth, hormones, sleep deprivation and touch overstimulation, but also focus on how to keep connected to your partner and your sexuality through this life cycle too.
With Melissa Fritchle, MA Holistic Psychotherapist Intern and Sex Therapist Intern at Process Therapy Institute

When: Tuesday, January 5th at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Rozenhart Family Chiropractic
4620-B Meridian Avenue
San Jose, CA 95124

Please R.S.V.P. at the Evite

Put this night on your calendars! See you there.

November Monthly Meeting Recap: Discussion on Consumerism

2009-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

I am woefully overdue in posting this recap of our November Meeting -- I apologize! I will post December's Meeting recap when I get notes from those who attended. I had a sick daughter to tend to who really could have used the massage information given out in December's Meeting!

Our group discussion was on the topic of Consumerism. How can we resist the culture of consumerism ourselves while also teaching our children to value the simple joys of life?

First, we discussed what a healthy level of consumerism is. Clearly, living in the Bay Area, none of us are complete homesteaders and we need to do some shopping. We clarified the difference between shopping for needs and shopping for wants.

When we shop primarily for wants, we fall prey to overabundance. When we have too much stuff, it actually leads to waste. We buy more to store the stuff we already have. We buy more because we can't be bothered to sort through our stored stuff to find the item we need. We become so overwhelmed with stuff that we need a break from it. Some, unfortunately, find relief by going shopping (?!?). It's a downward spiral when we shop primarily for wants. In order to curb this pattern, it is recommended to "purge" your home of excess regularly. While it may seem wasteful to give away items to charity, recycle them or simply them throw away, when you simplify your home, your mind will follow suit and become less excessive in its consumption.

Shopping for needs requires some mindfulness. Of course, food, clothing and shelter basics are often no-brainers. Other purchases require some thought. Do I actually need to buy this item to accomplish my goal? Will my life be improved/simplified by bringing this item into my home? A member recommended that we ask ourselves a series of questions to determine whether an item is a need; Who is the item for? What is the purpose of the item? Where will it be stored/consumed? When will it outlive its usefullness/leave the home? If you really want to consume less, keep yourself out of opportunities to do so. Don't walk into a store or visit a website without a purpose in mind -- no window shopping.

The value we hope to instill in our children is that life is not about accumulating things. An abundant life is one in which we own less and experience more. Teach them this lesson through your family activities. Reduce, reuse and recycle those things you do consume. Some members are committed to not bringing logos into the home. Logos often bring with them a host of underlying values of consumerism for status. Other members find community service to be a great way of showing their children how rich their lives are and how to give to others with far less. A book was recommended to help with ideas on how to espouse living better with less: "The Simple Living Guide: A sourcebook for less stressful, more joyful living" by Janet Luhrs.

With the holidays approaching, we all brainstormed on ideas for giving that don't involve excessive consumption. Here is a list of the ideas we came up with:

-- Show the kids the Heifer International Catalog and allow them to choose the animal that they would like to donate to a community.

-- For those who are crafty, make items for those who would appreciate them.

-- Give gifts of experience rather than tangible goods, such as:
    Spa treatments
    Cooking Classes
    Community Center Classes
    Dance
    Children's Musical Theatre Tix
    Season Tix, Movie Tix, Gift Certs for activities like Kayaking or to Regional Parks
    Hotel Stays, touring events, museums
Dinner Theatre (like Montalvo)
    Summer Camps, Roaring camp train ride

Giving simple, non-stuff gifts is something that we can control. What about being on the receiving end of the Christmas stuff onslaught? How can we communicate to our family that we actually want less? This is especially difficult when kids and grandmothers are involved! We all know that one of the great joys of being a grandma is to buy lots and lots (and lots) of toys for the grandkids. Telling her to reign it in is pretty hurtful to some grandmothers and makes you feel ungrateful. There comes a time, however, when you need to communicate the values that you are trying to live. One member had a great method of how to approach this touchy subject. She always puts her requests in a "sandwich."

She layers a positive thought
with the negative (what you want changed)
followed by a positive

For example;

Positive: "Mom, you are such a great grandmother. You are always finding ways to bring smiles to    the kids' faces."

Negative (what you want): "What has really been making them happy lately is not having to argue about cleaning up their toys.   We have really made it a goal to only have X number of toys out at a time and it has really changed their behavior. They fight less and play more! If you are thinking of them for Christmas, you might find some classes or other experiences that don't involve tangible "stuff" to argue over."

Positive: You are such a great piano player, maybe you could play for them sometime and teach them some basics. I know that we would love to come over to hear some Christmas carols!"

Another way to approach consuming less is to think about the way that families interacted before all of the technology entered our homes. Card games, cooking a meal, playing soccer at the park, going to the theatre, bowling. These all have something in common -- you do them TOGETHER. One family member is not individually staring at a computer screen while another stares at his iphone and another at the television.   It is amazing how our consumption choices impact our daily lives. Let's be mindful of this and build the lives we want by being very choosy when it comes to consumables.

It just so happens that Mothering Magazine posted this article via their facebook page today. This is a great example of a family living an abundant life on less. Check it out.

October Monthly Meeting Recap: Environmental Toxins

2009-10-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night's meeting was a great one. Our guest speaker, Linda Kincaid, shared some important information on testing your home for major environmental toxins. While Linda is knowledgeable on many chemicals commonly found in the home, she chose to focus on radon and formaldehyde for Tuesday's presentation.

Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family's health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually (EPA).   Radon is naturally-occurring and can be found in many areas of the country. Linda has found that it does not often occur in high levels here in the Bay Area flatlands, but has found dangerous levels in homes located along the mountain range from Monterey to the North Bay. One member from San Carlos was highly recommended to test for radon due to her location in this range. She handed out free radon testing kits to ensure that your home has safe levels of radiation. Linda cautioned that radon comes not only from what lies beneath our homes, but also from what we bring into our homes. She passed around a radon detecting machine with some samples of marble and granite counter tops. The granite (especially red granite) emitted elevated levels of radon. This is something you may want to consider when renovating your kitchen.

Linda is currently working on a research project focusing on formaldehyde levels within the home. We have all heard about the chemical off-gassing of common household items like mattresses and carpets.    Formaldehyde, a common chemical in new wood products and finishes, is an irritant and an asthma trigger. Other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause similar symptoms (Kincaid) . New building materials emit substantial amounts of these chemicals initially, with emissions decreasing over time. Linda brought a new topic to light many of us had not considered; furniture made from particle board. Particle board (MDF) is now commonly used in place of natural timber. The reasoning for this is that MDF is much cheaper to produce as well as reduces the falling of virgin timber. The downside to MDF is that it is created by mixing sawdust with formaldehyde-containing resins and pressing them into boards. This material is the basis for most laminated furniture, flooring and cabinetry.

Linda told a tale about a client of hers that had collected a house full of such furniture from Pottery Barn. For years, the formaldehyde gas emitted by this furniture didn't seem to bother the family. Their home was drafty and had a high turnover of interior air. This flushed out much of the gas. The family decided that it was time to upgrade their home by making it more energy-efficient. They added insulation as well as double-paned windows. While this upgrade certainly reduced their heating/cooling bills, it also reduced the air-exchange in their home. They effectively sealed in the formaldehyde gas. Within a few months, the family members became so sick (lung irritaion, fatigue, sore throats) that the Father needed to take a leave of absence from his job. As the medical bills piled up and no cause for their maladies was found, they decided to hire Linda to evaluate their home for toxins. What she found was levels of over 300 parts per billion (ppb) of formaldehyde in their home. Just 100 ppb of formaldehyde will cause illness in most adults. The family vacated the house and put the furniture in storage. After properly ventilating the house, the formaldehyde lowered back down to levels of 20-30 ppb. Linda recommends shopping for furniture at thrift and antique stores in order to avoid the formaldehyde present in modern, MDF-based products.

Another interesting point that she brought up is that new homes acquiring a "Green Point Rated" standard, tend to have the highest levels of formaldehyde amongst homes she has tested. This is due to the "sealed" nature of the homes for energy-efficiency as well as the high concentration of manufactured wood products in the homes.

If you would like to test your home for formaldehyde, the process is pretty simple. Check out her Formaldehyde Testing 101 Article for instructions. In the meantime, open windows and doors at least once a day to bring outside air into your home and try to reduce/eliminate any purchases of pressed particle board in the future.

If you would like to read more about Linda Kincaid's research, she has a treasure trove of articles available at The Examiner.

Next month's meeting topic is "Fighting Commercialism." This is an especially challenging topic during the approaching holiday season. Bring your ideas for less commercial modes of celebration.

Christina

Our trip to Arata Farms Pumpkin Patch in Half Moon Bay

2009-10-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

We all had a great time at the Pumpkin Patch yesterday. The first words out of T's mouth this morning were "I wish I could go to the pumpkin patch one more time." With not much in the way of crowds, we had full run of the little park. They really have some great spots for fall photo taking. The colors are so crisp and vibrant. After everyone worked up an appetite, we went up to the brewery at the marina for fish and chips. Mmmmm. . . the calamari was fantastic. My husband is not a fan of calamari, so I rarely get to order it when we go out. I got to order it yesterday and didn't even have to share! Actually, I did have to share because it was way too much for one person to consume in a sitting. The kids loved having their own private room in the restaurant where they could play fort under the tables without too much opposition from their overstuffed parents. I must say that both the farm owners and the restaurant manager were more than accommodating to our group. They really went out of their way to ensure that we had great times in Half Moon Bay. I really recommend both of these establishments and will certainly return next year. Here are some photos of our wee members:

I've deleted the captions because I realized that I really shouldn't post the names of the kids online.

HAYRIDE!

L is seriously considering whether she wants a hayride-induced labor.

And this wasn't taken at the farm, but some Liederhosen on this beautiful boy will brighten your day.