Real Butter

Clara is getting to that age where she will pull up a chair and get stuck in to whatever is happening. Especially butter. She will take a spoon and just eat it straight. I let her. up to a point.

We use Kerrygold butter as it's from grassfed cows and it doesn't contain any vegetable oil. Since I've read Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Real Food by Nina Planck I'm totally converted to this way of eating. Basically the way everyone used to eat about 100 years ago. In the 30's a lot of food processing was introduced and with that came a lot of health problems that are now very common. It's about eating food that is as unprocessed as possible, for example dairy and beef from grassfed animals, good fats such coconut oil and olive oil and butter. After reading these books I just can't look at food in the same way again. Growing up on a farm it comes quite natural to me but somehow, re learning this as an adult has made my eyes wide open about food and cooking. Especially since I've had kids. I have yet to read Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price. This really is the bible of Real Food.

Clara is not afraid of getting up and about in order to explore. I believe after i took this photo, she put her hand in the toaster. Luckily, it was unplugged.

Quiet concentration....

Snow books

Taking out the winter books that has been put away. Rotating books is something we haven't done before. It was great getting them out as it's like having a set of brand new books. Excuse the bad photo, the light was fading very quickly.

Tomten by Victor Rydberg and illustrations by Harald Viberg. A classic Swedish book about the barn gnome going around in the moonlight checking so animals and people are ok. Magical. The same image below I used to find slightly scary as a young child, worries Alvar too. But he loves the book.

Another favourite is Snow by Uri Shulevitz. Dreamlike illustrations as below. Very little text but lots to look at as the snow starts falling in the city.

The other books in our basket are:

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

One Snowy Night by M Christina Butler and Tina Macnaughton

Usborne Farmyard Tales: Christmas Flap Book - Preparation for Christmas at Apple Tree Farm

Then a Swedish book about the little lambs Bu och Ba in a snowstorm by Olof and Lena Lanstrom. They go shopping, land in a pile of snow, then chase a cabbage rolling down a hill and turn into a snowball. My 3.5 year old loves them.

It's total winter wonderland outside. Incredible. I haven't seen anything like it. (although since the photo a lot more snow has fallen) Even though we can't actually do much more than stay very local (and then i mean our streets) i am actually enjoying the 'confinement'. We all seem much more relaxed and chilled. Cold weather also makes one very sleepy so whilst the Buttons are having an afternoon nap I am baking again. Bread and some more of the Lussekatt, swedish saffron buns. Christmas is coming, have to have some!!