Beautiful Easter Weekend

Really been loving the weather these last few days, haven't you? I was in need of some serious light therapy and it is doing no harm at all.  We lapped up the sun on Monday after a very chilly Easter Saturday hunting Easter eggs at Clandon House in Surrey and nondescript Easter Sunday. 

We spent the afternoon walking through the woods and lounging on the lawns of The Vyne, a National Trust property in Henley-Upon-Thames.  We are frequent visitors, but the light was especially beautiful this last Monday, it was so bright and made everything look really vivid, the green of all the new shoots coming up contrasting against a brilliant blue sky was stunning. 

These smelled absolutely amazing, it really pays to take the time to bend down and smell flowers.  Heavenly. 

A bit on impromptu breastfeeding, I don't often carry Biscuit on the front because I find it a bit of a strain on my back, but for the sake of some mobile breastfeeding I am willing to give it a go.

New blades of grass shooting through the layer of beech leaves,

It's really important to us that the boys get out into nature as much as possible, they learn so much and benefit from it is so many different ways. We love letting them get their hands (and knees and bums) dirty on a regular basis, and they seem to love it too. There was so much to explore in the woods, here they are examining a tree stump, Boris takes a particular interest in fungus. 

Hope you all had a gorgeous Easter weekend. 

Why I didn't share THAT breastfeeding study

There has been articles referring to a breastfeeding study being share all over my facebook feed recently. It talks about how babies who are breastfed are more likely to have higher IQ that babies who weren't breastfed and are more likely to be successful and earn more money in later life.
As a supporter of breastfeeding it might seem logical for me to share a study like this, it appears to support my choice to breastfeed for longer and make me feel good about it, it would be a finger up to people who have criticised my choice to continue breastfeeding and has the potential to encourage women who aren't yet mothers or who are breastfeeding a young baby to initiate/continue breastfeeding

But I chose not to share it, and not because the data wasn't irrefutable, and it wasn't because I was worried about upsetting my friends who didn't achieve their breastfeeding goals, or making my friends who chose not the breastfeed feel guilty. (Although these were factors.)

The reason I didn't share this study is because I don't think it's important.  I don't think it's important for making mums who breastfeed feel good, and I don't think it's important for encouraging new mums or mums-to-be to breastfeed.

And the reason I don't think it's important is because I don't think a person having a high IQ in order to earn more money is important.  

Does having a high IQ make you a good person?  Does having a high IQ make you kind?  Does having a high IQ make you compassionate?  Does having a high IQ make you loving?  The answer is no, no it doesn't.  And at the end of the day these are the things that are really important, these are the qualities I would like my children to have and the qualities I would wish upon other children.  Sadly we live in a time where how much money you earn seems to be the highest measure of a human's value and we certainly aren't going to change that by sharing a study like this.

The only value this sort of study has in encouraging mums to initiate breastfeeding or to continue doing so is a financial one.  We are putting a financial reward on breastfeeding; "your child might be richer if you breastfeed for a bit longer".  How messed up is that?  But this is the capitalist society we live in where economy is God and anything that makes people richer is elevated to the highest echelons of value. Wouldn't it be great to see headlines like "breastfed children are kinder adults" or "extended breastfeeding makes people more compassionate" now those are studies I would be interested in reading.  But more than likely they are headlines that will never exist, and not just because the truth is that breastfeeding or formula feeding has no impact on a persons level of kindness and compassion, but also because kindness, love, and compassion and not seen as important values to have in our society.

So rather than to-ing and fro-ing about two IQ points on a chart I want focus on things that are really important like instilling the values of love and kindness in my children by showing love, kindness and compassion towards others.

And as for the important benefits of breastfeeding, well, they are priceless.  

40 Soups - Spicy lentil with pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Since I have been cutting out dairy this new year I am having to challenge myself more in all areas of cooking, without meat and dairy in my diet you would think the options for meals would me more limiting but I am exploring all sorts of new flavours and textures that I never used before.  Soups are no different, I am trying out all sorts of combinations of ingredients, some not so successful (using the pump from the juicer) and others like this, have been a huge success.  I don't mean to blow my own trumpet or anything, but this soup was AMAZING!!  Was pretty chuffed with myself.  It's vegan, super nutritious, high in protein and tastes fantastic. And of course it was dead easy to make.

(photographed half way through eating!)

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

1 red onion,

2 cloves of garlic,

1 courgette,

3 carrots,

1 stock cube,

1 tbs tomato purée,

1/4 tsp harrisa paste,

1/2 tsp mild curry powder,

1/2 tsp ground cumin,

1/2 tsp mustard powder,

1/2 cup red lentils,

1 tbs sunflower seeds,

1 tbs pumpkin seeds.

Gently fry chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, when softened add carrots and courgette, cook on low heat for 10 minutes, add water to cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add purée, paste and seasoning, simmer for 5 minutes.  Blend the soup with a stick blender.  Add lentils and seeds and 1/2 cup water and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until lentils have softened but still have a little bite, add more water if it's getting too thick, it should have a soup like consistency. Eat with crusty bread for a delicious lunch or dinner.