Best Mashed Potatoes

Easier and tastier.

If you have left over sweet potato (or squash, we like acorn and kombachu, or cauliflower) then add that when you mash them.

If not, then dice it up a sweet potato or two and put it in while you cut up the rest of the potatoes.  (It takes longer for them to cook, and I don't bother waiting for the water to boil to put the sweet potato in.)

Leave the skins on!! why in the world people go to the bother of peeling them beats me! besides there is the nutrition there!  (in the South they always left them on!)

I use yukon.  I like them the best of the potatoes that I can "name", they are a "yellow" type. And as far as I know, only the russets were GMO-ed.

Add salt to the boiling water before they cook, that way they taste better - only the raw potato soaks up the salt.

Drain it out when fork pierces easily.

Put in a whole stick or two of butter OR more 
AND a glug of milk OR water. (that's a real measurement) :)

mash it or beat it with a machine. ...with yukon, butter, milk, and the veggies, it doesn't take as much mashing for creamy goodness to develop.

add a bit of crushed parsley or kale etc from your bag you have in the freezer (wink)  to help train your brain chemicals to like the greens!

And now you have a tasty, sweet, savory, creamy, yummyness that makes gravy only optional.

Gravy is fantastic from bone broth!!  (remember don't boil the bone broth)

Bone broth = liquid gold = precious food = vital medicine

I posted about this back in one of my very first posts here (see there in the pink recipe card...), but I thought that a more extended run down would be of benefit. --

It is so frugal and nutritious; so versatile, so simple;
and it's many possible uses so basic to so luxurious,
it should really return to the first thing we learn in the kitchen.
Don't forget to teach it to your children.

Here's the basic method I use
---anything more than this is optional,
such as various herbs, parsley, or vegetables which I add near the end to alter the flavor etc for use in a meal --

• collect bones and all bits and pieces (after removing the meat in the kitchen or from the plates after dinner) put in freezer bag until you are ready
  
  • If you cooked in a method that created a lot of liquid - then keep this "chicken juice" in a bowl in the fridge until later (mmm healing gelatin power)
• put bones and bits in a pot or crock pot, cover with water (filtered of course)
  
  • Ideally, add vinegar (or other acid) to the water and allow the bones to sit for 1/2 hr+ before turning on the heat - this will maximize the amount of minerals you pull out
    (advisory: if you don't follow the vinegar soak with boiling, then the vinegar flavor may never completely dissipate -because of this, I sometimes use balsamic, which tastes better in my opinion, when crock potting)
    
  • if the source of your chicken is suspect or sub-par (or you want to eliminate the vinegar) then
    
    1. start in a pot and bring it to a boil
       
    2. skim off any of the foam that rises to the surface. (Sally Fallon called this impurities - and I have found that high quality chicken produces no foam)
       
    3. leave to simmer if you are to be in the kitchen
       or add enough cool water to not shock/crack your crock and then pour into a crock pot to slow cook
• add bay leaves, whole cloves, large pieces of onion, garlic and/or (flavorless) seaweed - if desired
  
  • if desired, add onion before bringing it to the boil because it often produces much foam on it's own and I have suspected it to be impurities as well (fungus?)
• allow to simmer (not boil) until bones are soft enough to break and/or ~12 hours as convenience allows -
  
• when needed, add water to keep bones covered.
  (and add any other vegetables/herbs,... as desired - cooking too long can add bitterness
  I always keep a bag of kale stems (or other stem vegetables,...) that I can add to the bone broth -very important nutrients for skin health.)
  
• turn heat off and allow to cool enough until you are comfortable pouring it
• pour through a strainer into a container.

Storing and such

• If you would like to add the "chicken juice" from the fridge (that bowl of gel in the fridge from the beginning such as when the chicken was crock potted), then mix together allowing the heat to melt it in- this will make it taste AMAZING (depending on seasoning as well of course) and utilize the nutritious gelatin in more meals as well.
• Whatever combination of broth/juice you have, you will likely have a layer of fat form on the top - this is, of course, good food, but sometimes is more than enough for the amount of broth (especially in some beef bones' results) and would be too heavy/ slick for tastes, so simply leave as is, but if there is ever 'extra' fat when you are done using the bowl/jar from your fridge that week, then just put the 'chunks' of it in a freezer bag for a time when you don't have as much fat to ratio)
  

• if you would like to condense the broth to save space,
1. then boil it down (remove foam if any comes up)
   
2. until desired reduction amount
   
3. allow it to cool - Have a few sips :)
   
4. pour into container, freezer bags, or small containers (that can be removed as individual serving sizes for multiple uses (ice cubes for individual cups of broth or bigger cups for soups....etc))

Cooking with this liquid gold!

• if you would like to make soup or add vegetables then add any that you desire in order that they require to cook plus herbs/spices - add water if needed to reach amount for # of people.
• If you would like to use it in other foods such as when cooking rice, there is no rule - just add as much as you want whenever liquids such as water, milk, stock, or broth is called for --judging results by how the broth itself tastes.
  (I usually avoid rosemary in my broth because of it inability to blend into a variety of meals, etc....). Rice cooked with all broth instead of water is amazingly just on its own. Talk about using meat sparingly ;).... Also, the gelatin content is great in any meal especially those that have little, to no, raw foods in them. (improves digestion through nutrients by ability AND churning of food)
  
• if you would like to make gravy, (this is also the base of a cream soup, as described in previous post)
  
  1. get a whisk out and have your broth very handy to pour or scoop in quickly if needed.
     
  2. melt oil/butter in a pan and add ~ equal weight of a flour (one that will thicken it or later add arrowroot powder)
     
  3. and add pepper, salts, garlic powder, optional herbs/spices, dried mushroom (this is a great flavor, amaze the relatives who eat packaged food!), (these can be added at any point but more flavor throughout/deeper when added at the beginning)
     
  4. adding more oil/butter and moving it around, if needed, until flour is cooked (cooking until browned but not burned makes brown gravy, but just not tasting like flour is what is important) and add broth at any point to prevent flour from burning - add broth, water, and/or milk until desired
  5. Constantly whisk to prevent it from sticking on the bottom of the pan and to prevent lumps as adding liquids
     
  6. if using arrowroot powder, mix a spoonful+ into a small amount of cold liquid then add to the pan, whisking it in, this will thicken it, but if cooked for too long it will lose it's ability and will have to be added again - always add as much as you need - such as if you didn't use enough flour in the beginning for desired results
  7. mmm gravy

Great Intro videos and links for light reading

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-introduction-to-traditional-eating/

more videos: http://www.westonaprice.org/beginner-videos

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/CollardGreens.htm
http://agriculturesociety.com/politics-and-food/my-liver-and-gallbladder-miracle-cleanse-experience/
http://agriculturesociety.com/healthy-living/commercial-baby-formula-kills-infant-isnt-your-child-worth-more-than-this/
http://www.realmilk.com/formularecipes.html#chart
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ireland-moves-to-ban-all-raw-milk-sales/

Salsa Burgers

These are a scrumptious twist on hamburgers and lots of veggies without losing any of the enjoyment of a burger.
Bun or no bun, we had both, It is a delicious stack of veggies and beef.

• To Raw hamburger (I guess about ~1lb for entire family) in a bowl ADD:
  

• chopped veggies - the smaller it is chopped (such as in a processor), the better it hides AND helps the patty stay to together. I vary a lot on how much vegetable I have and I prefer chunky because the flavors stand out better :)
  
  • ~1/2+ C = ~half an onion (purple onion is my fav for this)
  • ~1/4+ C of zucchini
  • ~1/4+ C of cabbage (I like purple for this, but haven't tried the green/white)
  • ~1/4+ C of Pepper (a little spicy is yummiest, but what ever you like in salsa)
  • garlic
  • greens (frozen crushed ones would be easy)
  • (if you keep soaked chia around and ready to go!-- add a few scoops -- let me know - I haven't tested this!)
    

• Salt, spice, peppers:
  
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • garlic powder
    
  • Chili pepper blend (my blend has chili peppers, cumin, garlic, cloves, allspice)
    
  • turmeric
  • seaweed powder/flakes
    

• Mix all of the meat, veggies, seasonings up with your hands until thoroughly integrated. If needed, add 1-2 eggs. They will help hold the burgers together more as they heat up. If you meat is less than 75% fat, add some coconut oil to moisten and juice up the burgers.
• Shape the meat into patty shapes (you can size them to fit the person - they will shrink as they cook) .....and put on a hot, oiled pan.
  

• Fry one side in the pan (med to high heat - add palm/coconut oil as needed to help the pan and burgers get along without anything burning) (season the top with more of the same as before - if desired.)
• Turn over when pink is turning to brown up the sides and wrapping around the top a bit. Cook until desired - turning heat up to darken the outside if needed.

• In food processor or with a sharp knife,
  
  • chop an entire bunch+ of cilantro (stems included)
    
  • optional: 'sweet' pepper and and any other veggie you think matches and could be friends such as the cabbage or some green onions. ;)
• If needed for processor blades/texture,
  
  • add either a bit of oil, salsa, or sour cream.

• On plates,
  
  • spread burgers with salsa and sour cream and a huge pile of the chopped cilantro - tomatoes and/or avocado, - anything compatible - even chopped mango or shrimp that you happen to have laying around would be yummy. ;)
    
• Serve with a "salad" of any leftover vegetables - possibly tossed with beans or as a 'seven layer' style.
• Fermented salsa (benefits: made yourself, raw, enzymes, flora/probiotic, Vit K2, increased vitamins,... )
  

A note on cilantro:

Have a casual taste testing of cilantro with all family members: some individuals think it tastes like soap! As I recall, this is likely because they are missing an enzyme to taste it properly. However I believe that that may be something those same people would benefit from force feeding it to themselves? Why? because fresh cilantro has an amazing and very unusual ability to remove heavy metals even from the Nervous system of the body (as of when book was published,.. there isn't even a drug discovered yet that can do this). I am of the belief that occasionally, the very plant that will help us the most is difficult for some of the same reasons. See what I'm saying? they might need to eat it until it doesn't taste like soap anymore!? So 1Tbl+ whenever you can for successful results.

(I admit I have not actually tested the cilantro in my personal processor, but I think it is a better alternative than trying to chew long stringy stems that don't bite well off a bite, as I was short on time today and just piled them on top.)

Cauliflower delight

This can be a finished dish in the still firm, cooked until soft, or even mashed to fit your family's current vegetable allowances :)

Saute onions and a bit of salt until soft in butter or coconut oil. Add thoroughly chopped and smashed garlic.

Add Cauliflower and enough water to cook until desired texture.
Stir to mix and add more butter or coconut oil to allow onion/salt/garlic "seasoning" mixture to be all over the cauliflower.

Don't let it run out of water before it is done, But add a little if needed to keep it from browning on the bottom.
Add cheese if desired. Grass fed (white) cheddar is my favorite because it is a mild blending sharp cheese - if that makes sense at all.

Optional: add cooked bacon, sausage, ham or the like and it can be a great brunch. Also, can add other vegetables or greens from other colors of your vegetable rainbow :)

Gluten - free can get a little tricky. This should help.

This is a chart from this article found online here...
(I would add Chia alongside the flax) -- notice that the number in the notes correlates with the number above it.

Using cut and paste, all of the following is quoted:

There are many gluten free breads available now, or you can make your own using whole foods with this helpful guide from Deb Gully, a chapter leader in New Zealand.

Gluten holds moisture and binds food, so when you remove this, things start to unravel. This is why it is so important to include a binder when using gluten-free flours so the end result will be successful. It seems to be best to use two or more gluten-free flours together when substituting them for wheat flour. A mixture of gluten-free flours gives a better texture and flavor than just one on its own. When baking it is good to have two grainy or crumbly flours and a binding one. But there are some recipes that will work well with only one flour.

Choose 2 of the crumbly or grainy flours: Amaranth Coconut Corn Rice Millet Notes: 1. Good flavour for cakes, biscuits and pancakes. Always needs a binding flour with it. Needs to be soaked overnight in something acidic, like yoghurt, or lemon juice and water. 2. This is a fairly new flour. You can make your own with dessicated coconut processed in a food processor 3. Cornmeal needs to be soaked in lime water, rather than acids. Corn starch or flour can be blended with cornmeal to make corn breads or muffins. Corn is a common allergen. 4. Some people find brown rice hard to digest. White rice is often used as it's easier to digest and rarely allergenic. It is pure starch and not high in nutrients. Either brown or white is good for thickening gravies, sauces and cream pies. 5. Tends to make breads dry and coarse so don't use more than 1/5 of the flour mixture. NOT RECOMMENDED Quinoa: Quinoa needs thorough rinsing, and at least 8 hours soaking before being cooked.

Add a binding flour: Buckwheat Arrowroot Tapioca flour Potato starch Potato flour Pea or pulse flours Notes: 1. Buckwheat groats can be sprouted, dried and then ground into flour that doesn't need further soaking. But if you use ready bought flour, it will need to be soaked in something acid. Use in small amounts as it has a strong flavor and is sometimes difficult to digest. 2. Easy to digest, and the most nutritious of the white flours as it is not refined. A superior thickener. 3. Imparts the "chew factor," excellent used in small quantities. Also good for coating anything that's going to be fried. Again a refined starch and not high in nutrients. 4. Excellent for baking when used with other flours. It is a good thickening agent for cream soups. A refined starch and not high in nutrients. 5. Potato flour is different from potato starch. 6. Use in small quantities only, as they are better soaked. NOT RECOMMENDED Soy: Many gluten-free recipes use soy, but soy contains high levels of anti-nutrients and is difficult to digest.

And/or use 1-2 of these binders: Egg Guar gum Xantham gum Flaxseed "gel" Sago Notes: 3. Some people react to guar gum, so xantham is better. If still no go, try without it, it will just be a little heavier. 5. Good egg replacer in baking: Simmer 1/4 cup flax seeds in 3/4 cup water for 5-7 mins, till thick. Strain the seeds out in a cheesecloth lined strainer --you'll need to squeeze it. Use 4 tablespoons for 1 egg. For extra lightness, whip the "gel" and fold through at the end of mixing.

Add 1-2 of these for flavor & texture & lower carbs (optional): Ground sesame seeds Ground flaxseed Ground crispy nuts Ground almonds Notes: 1. Makes a nice pizza base, with some flaxseed and beaten eggs. 2. Small amounts are nice in gluten-free bread 4. Many gluten-free recipes use ground almonds, but they are not soaked so the enzyme-inhibitors aren't neutralized. Crispy nuts ground yourself are better. Macadamias and almonds are good for a neutral flavor.

This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2006.

Not enough eggs?

Some gluten free recipes have, for example, a little coconut flour and 6 eggs.
Very Yummy and nutritious (have you found a good source of eggs?), but for the holidays when eggs start running a little short, it is good to know why and what different ingredients are used in a recipe.

This site -link- has a great bit of info and explanation.

Useful Information To Know About Substituting Eggs:

Eggs have three main functions in cooking and baking; they add moistness, they bind ingredients together, or they leaven. How do you know what the egg is in your recipe? If the egg is the main liquid ingredient, it adds moistness. If the recipe has one egg but a fair amount of baking powder or soda, (or if there are no other components in the recipe that would be able to hold the other ingredients together, like bread crumbs, nuts, flour) the egg is the binder. If there are no other rising agents, the egg is the leavening.

Note:

To maintain the integrity of your recipe, you shouldn't try to replace more than two eggs.

If A Recipe Uses Eggs For It's Liquid Properties Alone:
Two tablespoons per egg of any liquid, like juice, milk or soy milk, will do just fine. To add moisture and flavor to baked goods requiring eggs, substitute ½ (half) mashed banana or 1/4 (one-fourth) cup of applesauce or pureed fruit for each egg. Keep in mind that because these add moisture to a recipe, you might have to bake for a bit longer than the recipe calls for.

To Achieve The Binding Properties Of Eggs:
Use one mashed banana per two eggs in baked sweets.
Try blending two ounces of silken or soft tofu per egg with the liquid in the recipe.
One tablespoon of arrowroot or one tablespoon soy flour and two tablespoons water mixed together also work when added to the ingredients.
Try a mixture of 2 tablespoons flour, two tablespoons water, ½ (half) tablespoon oil and ½ (half) teaspoon baking powder.

To Achieve The Leavening Effects That Eggs Provide:
Add an extra half teaspoon of baking powder per egg. Or, you can substitute an acidic liquid (buttermilk or thinned and beaten yogurt) for the liquid required in the recipe. To avoid a bitter final product, limit the amount of baking powder of baking soda to one teaspoon per cup of flour.
Consider the way you want to make your batter. Add air to lighten by creaming together the sweetener and the fat before adding dry ingredients. Whipping the liquid ingredients together in a food processor for 30-45 seconds works, as well.
Other Tips For Light, Eggless Baking:
Successful eggless baking will be more successful if you don't take for granted the type of flour you use. For example, whole wheat flour contains gluten, which can make a chewy end product.
Try replacing some of the whole wheat flour with whole wheat pastry flour or any other flour that doesn't contain gluten, like brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, soy flour, corn flour, millet flour, amaranth flour, or quinoa flour. Keep in mind, however, that gluten helps baked goods rise, and substituting with a low-gluten flour may not always work.

For egg-based recipes such as quiches and custards, however, the substitutes should be used for only half of the eggs. And the fat that's added prevents them from working in recipes calling for beaten whites, such as meringues and souffles.

Crucial Nutrients Diagram

Click to enlarge

Fat Soluble Vitamins such as A, D, K2 are found in safe ratios in
Healthy animal's Fats that are fermented or from fast growing/plentiful green grass
and in very desirable abundance and ratios in
Green Pasture's Fermented Cod Liver oil and Butter oil Blend.
Minerals are found in Bone Broths, Dark Green Vegetables, and Raw Dairy.
There are 7(+) DIFFERENT CALCIUMS which we need all of in varying ratios throughout the body. Herbs are prob the best DIY way. Supplementing with them needs to be done with specific cautions.

See this link's chart here for more examples and great super foods that exemplify this diagram:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ai3zK3S0SNBWdHE2bFNUeEVnZEY4TFppZTRmaDN5Nnc
(I would give credit for the origination of this diagram if I could - over 4 years ago I saw a chart with Vit A, D, K2, Ca, Mg, and types of fat (?) linked to an article discussing their ratios. I have not been able to find it since WAPF made their new site (although it may not have been on their site, merely a time marker). I finally decided recently to create my own but to also include these other important factors of water soluble Vitamins, phosphorous, flora, enzymes, and the mention of other nutrients to open the door to possibilities that may play a prominent need in your family's ratios.)

Meatballs or Meat Loaf

Click to enlarge "visual recipe"! :)
Use a cookie version of an Ice cream scoop for Meat balls (spread in a pan or pressure cooker)
or smash into a pan anywhere from a muffin tin for small servings to a larger pan of any size for cutting up later.
Bake them hot 425* to go quicker, but 350* or so for the thicker loaves.

These freeze great!! ....And when served in portions are a frugal way to get your protein and grass fed healthy fat ....So Make up a big batch so you can still put away plenty for later.

So make sure that you have lots of other foods ready and on the plates before serving so that your family doesn't fill up with out eating their veggies I really like potatoes, sweet potato (put them in the bottom of the oven!), cauliflower "delight" :), green beans, and lots of raw veggies and/or salad as options when we have meat loaf. I even will steam up a big old plate of greens and onions with butter or gravy on mine. Whatever it is you like, have it ready so no one eats too much meat loaf - It's really easy to do ;)!

Ingredients:

Might as well start with some other super foods! ;) :

• chopped Onions 2 or 3 more = so there is less than but can be up to an equal amount to the meat
• Chopped garlic (optional) ....and garlic powder later

Cut and allow to sit out while you prep everything else (better for you?, worth the possibility)

Pick and choose veggies: These all support the great flavor of a strong meaty meatloaf.

• Carrot = chopped or peelings - "peeling" the entire carrot (all the way until it is too skinny to hold onto anymore) gives the meatloaf better texture and no biting into veggies when you want meat!
  
• Greens = Kale, bok choy, (rich in available calcium) and swiss chard/beet greens seem to be taste free and collards when chopped small are just as hard to detect - all are better if subjected to freezing temperatures so wash and stuff into a zipbag, crush and use.
  
• (Both greens and seaweed have taste properties that actually make red meat taste better and deeper)
• Seaweed = (Later, or for those who are more used to using seaweed, you can remember to add this)
• Brown Lentils = put them in water as soon as you think of it, they might sprout by the end of mixing - Brown lentils vs other colors because cooking collapses the brown's texture and they hide completely making them a great stretcher and addition of plant food to this meaty meal. (start with a small amount like a 1/4 C /lb- I've never measured the successful ratios)
• mushrooms = only if everyone is a fan
• I imagine finely chopped turnip would be great, but I haven't had a chance to try it, I also want to try chopped beet and in one with an Asian or Old European twist, Cabbage!
  

Seasonings - LOTS! (ordered by approx amount) sorry I don't measure, but this also gives it a new flavor every time!:

• Sea Salt &/ (Celtic, Redmonds, whatever, but most sea salt at the store is still just processed salt from the sea (typically 'processed' removes the minerals and adds chemicals))
• or Season salt (if you are accustomed to the flavor in your meat loaf, no reason scare anyone off who would miss it... Lawry's, Tony's, Old Bay)
• Old Bay is a great addition and is more complex than most season salts This version is a great one/ingredients and could well be used as a list of seasonings to add.
  
• Black pepper, lots of it!!!
• Garlic powder
  
• Basil, Marjoram
• Thyme (fresh is great)
  
• Parsley (fresh is great -big handful of it!!)
• Cloves, Allspice (, Mace)
• Ginger (crazy spices? nah, think of the swedish meatballs at Ikea w/lignon (cranberry-ish) sauce)
  
• Kelp powder OR dash of soy or worchestershire sauce
  

and the meat of course:

• Ground hamburger (grass fed only here)
• Optional: any ratio of Wild Ferel Boar (pig/pork), and/or anteloupe, elk, bison,... (for a boost in amino acids (tryptophan for serotonin)) or ground organ meats
  
• The Pork adds an amazing dimension of flavor especially if you really load up on the fun spices = proclaimed the best we'd ever eaten by all of us older ones, the younger ones had their mouths full anyway... we all really like meatloaf around here!
  

But what about?:

• Bread crumbs and such are optional because of the amount of onion already lightening it up.
• Egg is a great addition to help hold it all together; if they are healthy eggs, then it's a bonus.
• Gelatin (perferred via bone broth, but gelatin packets in a pinch) is a great protein/nutrient to add, especially if your meat is low in fat. It tenderizes tough meat, but its bigger bonus is in your body... It enables great digestion and digestive/intestinal health among other things.

Now Mix it all together until it's all the same through out -- oo gooey fun for the kiddos too. Then smash into the pans and cook them until cooked through. brown on top if needed.

Sauce is unnecessary, but depending on how tasty it is or the direction you went with the spices, then it may be a bonus. I like to put some in a muffin tin because they are done in less than 20 minutes; I can pull them out and have a premeal snack and find out what they taste like while there is still plenty of time to put sauce on the rest of them.

• For the basic American traditional Beef Version:

Ketchup ~1 C


Mustard ~ 1/4 C


Brown sugar ~ 1/8 C


(chili powder)

• For the Swedish version: Any Cranberry or slightly sour jam or Apricot, Peach, Cherry, Berry,...
• For an Asian twist: Sweet and Sour or Terriyaki or ....
• or Gravy! (I'll make a more specific post later) (gluten-free with Arrowroot powder, dairy-free with bone broth)
  
• salt, pepper, butter fried mushroom, onions.
  
• cheese...
  

Tomato Basil Cream Soup with Parmesan Curls

I love tomato soup. Of course, I grew up getting mine out of a can. Canned soup generally contains monosodium glutamate (MSG), vegetable oils like cottonseed, soybean, canola, safflower or sunflower (which are usually cheap, rancid byproducts of Big Ag), high fructose corn syrup, citric acid (another kind of MSG), autolyzed yeast (yet another kind of MSG), cheap iodized salt, wheat flour (which is white flour, probably "enriched" which really means "devoid of nutritional value"). But now that I know about the ingredients in canned soup, I am happy to make my own. Since I am in the habit of making my own stocks, I can usually throw a soup together in a few minutes.

I usually follow a basic Tomato Cream Soup recipe from Kim Knoch at The Nourishing Cook. She says you can throw it all together in 3 minutes, and she's right. I usually double her recipe since I have the large cans of diced tomatoes.

I DO use canned tomatoes, which are not ideal due to BPA in the linings of most canned foods. Eden Organic is the only canned food manufacturer in the States using BPA-free cans, but even they are unable to use those BPA-free cans for tomatoes. The FDA won't allow it, due to their acidity.

But until I learn how to can, and how to find the time to do it, I am calling compromise on this one. Maybe once tomatoes are in season here, I will dice them up for fresh tomato soup.

Tomato Cream Soup

28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, or tomato sauce

4 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cup cream

1 cup whole milk

sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Add all ingredients to a soup pot, blending with a stick blender to desired consistency (if you used diced tomatoes). Heat through and serve.

After I had made this basic recipe a few times, which is perfect for a cold day or for dipping grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, I wanted to make something a little different.

Tomato Basil Cream Soup with Parmesan Curls

14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

14 ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cup cream

1 cup whole milk

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

2-3 tablespoons dried basil (or a handful of chopped fresh basil)

parmesan cheese curls, cut with a knife or cheese slicer

1. Combine all ingredients except cheese curls into a large soup pot. Heat through, blending with a stick blender to your desired consistency. Serve in bowls with cheese curls floating on top, and with sourdough toasts and grass-fed butter or homemade crackers.

Honey Almond Roca

Ever since the holidays we have been enjoying little bites of almond roca for an occasional sweet treat.  This candy is very easy to make.  Simple directions and a short list of ingredients make for an elegant dessert with a crunch.  I make it plain, but you can melt chocolate and drizzle it on top for a more decadent version.

When I use them, I soak raw nuts and seeds in a salty brine for a day, then dehydrate them a low temperature to improve digestibility.  The soaking removes enzyme inhibitors, which interfere with your body's ability to utilize the enzymes present in these raw morsels.  Then the dehydrating returns them to their crispy state, but doesn't kill the enzymes that are now available for absorption in the body.  It is still better to soak nuts and seeds even if you plan to roast them.  The enzymes will die, but at least the enzyme inhibitors are neutralized.

Almond Roca

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup honey

1 cup chopped almonds

1. Melt butter gently in a saucepan.  Add honey while the butter melts, stirring constantly until nicely combined.  

2. Using a candy thermometer, heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches the "soft-crack stage" or the "hard-crack stage".  Use "soft-crack" for a softer candy that bends, but then cracks into pieces when broken apart.  Use "hard-crack" for a harder candy that is stiff, and doesn't bend when broken into pieces.

3. After the mixture reaches the desired temperature, stir in the chopped almonds until combined.  Then immediately spread onto a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, or that has been buttered to cool.  Let cool for 45 minutes or so.  Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

 4.  When you put your hand on the candy and cannot feel any more heat radiating from it, remove from the refrigerator to break into pieces.  Remove the pan and paper.  Break into any size you like.

5.  You can store the candy at room temperature, but it does get a bit sticky and the pieces hold on to each other.  I kept ours in the fridge until they were mostly gone, then started keeping the remainder in the cupboard.  Either way I prefer to eat them at room temperature, so if you store in the refrigerator, remove about 20 minutes before you want to eat it.

Pasta Noodles

See link for a Gluten-free version made with buckwheat.

I've made these with wheat before, and they tasted like the whole wheat "homemade" pasta at the Brick Oven I used to work at in Provo. However, they weren't as big a hit at my house as it was/is there. They used to really line up at that Pasta Bar!

We prefer Kamut as the grain in our noodles. Kamut, an 'ancient' grain, is much more like a durum (pasta) wheat than regular red or white wheat = It makes a great textured noodle that is very similar to the commercial pasta that we are all used to. Also, even when the wet dough is left to sit ("soaked" to neutralize sprout inhibitors) over night it doesn't get as sour as the 'regular' wheat does. I have yet to try adding rye, but I want to put a handful of rye in the flour to give a boost to the neutralization process.

Here's the recipe I use as of now, altered, but originally from the Nourished Gourmet blog.

• 3-3 1/2 cups Kamut flour
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, less if included any rye flour
• Flour for the counter
• Palm shortening or Coconut oil for bowl

After allowing the moist dough to sit for 8-24 hours, prep your counter top for as much space as you can for room to roll out the dough. I prefer to moisten the counter and spread a thin layer of flour across it, the moistened counter and white flour combine and adhere to make a floured surface that works better than anything else I've tried rolling on. Keep extra flour handy to add as you go and more as the floured surfaced does wear off and needs to be kept dry.

Start with small portions to roll out as the goal here is to roll the dough as absolutely as thin as possible. Thin makes fat noodles when cooked so it is great that Kamut has an amazing elasticity to it to be able to roll it out super thin. I roll until it starts getting holes it is so paper thin - sometimes stopping to pick up the well floured 'disc' to support gravity in some additional thinning stretches. The rolling is really the only time consuming part of this whole recipe, so, really roll speedily and actively ....and only go as far as your family's taste prefer. When it is rolled out, cut the beautiful dough into your pieces - Nourished Gourmet has some great photos of large and long - with a knife, pastry cutter, or pizza cutter.

They can be dropped in boiling water immediately or allowed to dry out. I think they taste better if they are left to dry out even just a little bit first.

If possible, drying them in the sun or perhaps in a dehydrator is far more effective way of drying them. Some people do cool air drying on racks. If you are able to get them dry enough then they can last for quite some time in storage (too wet and they mold).

I found that we also prefer noodles that are a bit smaller/narrower, but the big ones are yummy too. For the days that I make small noodles I just do a huge grid of strips. -- It really helped to discover that a previously acquired and, until now, unused quilting tool worked awesome with the pizza cutter. - check out the awesome looking tools that exist for such projects!
I always think that if I wasn't always trying to just get this all done super fast, or if my boys could restrain themselves from eating all of them, we would make cute bowtie shapes by just pinching the rectangles!

By the way - She also has a buckwheat soba noodle recipe! (gluten free)

Cheesecake

4 Boxes Cream Cheese (softened): Beat until fluffy
1/4 C or more of citrus juice + lots (and lots) of zest
pinch salt
~1 Tbls of Arrowroot powder or flour
~1 C sucanat, rapadura OR 1/2 C White sugar or Honey
Beat again and then add
3 Eggs: Beat again until really fluffy

Pour onto a crust (see recipe) and bake for 15 minutes or so at 425* or similiar really hot temperature. Then turn the oven down to a low temp (at least as low as 350*, I do 325*) and leave it until the crust just starts to crack and before it gets too brown (although we don't mind a touch of brown!) Chill before cutting or moving it around too much.

YUM.

If you want to perfect your cheesecake skills, then be sure to read the section on Custards in a cookbook somewhere (the concepts apply to pumpkin pie as well). A pan with water underneath the cake's pan is a great thing.

I've not yet made cheese cake from home-made cream cheese, but I bet it would work great! Just yogurt suspended so that the liquid/whey drips out makes cream cheese.

No-Bake 'cookies'

Super quick to make!

3 C Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
1 Cup carob (a bit of cocoa for the flavor) or chocolate
1/2 C Honey
1/2 C coconut oil
(and to all sweets, regardless of the recipe, I always add a bit of sea salt)

1. I estimated the honey and oil as I put it in pan to melt, just enough until it is liquid,
2. mix in the previously mixed 1st two while it is still easy and warm
3. I might have added some arrowroot powder? - don't think it was necessary.
4. ice cream scoop or balls on a sheet, chill, try not to eat them all at once.

Cheese and Vegetable Chowder

This soup is so lovely.  The vegetables are the star, but the nutrition is boosted by all the homemade stock, cream and cheese in the background.  This is perfect for our family, since we are fighting off the sniffles.  My E and M slurped their bowls up with gusto tonight before going to bed a little earlier than usual.  I hope they heal a little as they sleep.  

Read about how the healing properties of homemade bone broth here.  I had a lot of stock on hand from Thanksgiving when I made turkey stock.  After making a double recipe of this soup, I still have two large containers of stock left in my fridge!  

(I will probably make tomato cream soup later this week, and I will post the recipe when I do.  Plus, I have another turkey I need to roast soon, so I'll have even more stock to make nourishing soups with.  This is very important at this time of year when our immune systems can take a beating, and we don't get as many vitamins from the sun.) 

Cheese and Vegetable Chowder

4-6 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large leek, split lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 T. sprouted whole grain flour

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

3 carrots, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 turnip, peeled and finely diced

several large broccoli florets, chopped

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/8 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1½ cups raw cream or half-and-half

10½ oz. mature raw Cheddar cheese, grated

fresh chopped parsley, to sprinkle on top

salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan or stockpot over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and leek. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to soften.  Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes, taking care it doesn't burn.
2. Stir the flour into the vegetables and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add a little of the stock and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix in the flour. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and slowly stir in the rest of the stock.
3. Add the carrots, celery, turnip, broccoli, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf and the thyme branches.
4. Add the cheese a few handfuls at a time, stirring constantly for about a minute after each addition, to make sure it is completely melted. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding salt if needed, and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream until warmed through.  Ladle immediately into warm bowls, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.  

Homemade Eggnog (in a blender!)

As a child, I never liked eggnog.  We would buy eggnog in a carton from the grocery store, but it was too thick and sweet for my liking.  Now I know, from reading eggnog labels the last couple of years, that I probably didn't like the flavors of high fructose corn syrup and thickeners in store-bought eggnog.  

A few years ago I tried Silknog, an eggnog-flavored soy milk.  It's thinner but still has that nice holiday flavor.  We drank it for a couple of years during the holidays, but in the last year I have learned about many problems surrounding soy.  Soy has a very high phytic acid content, and should only be consumed in moderation and properly fermented.  Good sources of fermented soy include natto, naturally fermented soy sauce, and fermented miso.

This year I have been missing my thinner, eggnog drink.  So I started looking around for a real food version of eggnog using raw milk and cream, raw egg yolks (but no raw egg whites, they have enzyme inhibitors!), wholesome sweeteners like maple syrup and raw honey, and as my friend likes to call them "Christmas spices".  Using this recipe as inspiration, I upped the cream and yolks and made delicious eggnog in my blender!  How easy was it? VERY.

You place all the ingredients in a blender, blend them up, and then pour and serve.  If you have seen the way classic eggnog is made, then you'll be impressed with this method.  In the original recipes you are supposed to separate eggs, whip the whites, whip the cream, fold them in at different times, and so on.  I don't have time to mess with that!  And I don't want to eat the raw white anyway.

So enjoy this quick recipe.  It makes delicious, healthy, homemade eggnog that has that not-too-thick texture.  Even R liked it!  And as R would say: "You can really taste the nog."

Homemade Eggnog

1 cup whole milk (preferably raw and grass-fed)

3/4 cup cream (preferably raw and grass-fed)

4 egg yolks (preferably pastured)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of cloves

pinch of allspice

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey (I used syrup)

dash sea salt

Bourbon, rum, cognac, to taste (optional)

1. Place everything in a blender and blend for a minute or so.  Pour into glasses and garnish with another grating of nutmeg, or a stirring stick of cinnamon.

Coconut Citrus Fudge

Coconut Citrus Fudge

1 cup coconut butter

2-3 tablespoons raw honey

2 tablespoons coconut oil, gently melted

1 tablespoon orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus zest

1 teaspoon orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus extract (if using oil, use a few drops)

1. In a food processor pulse coconut butter and honey until combined.  Then with the processor running, add the coconut oil in a steady stream.  Add zest and extract or oil, and mix until combined.

2. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper, spoon mixture and form into a rectangle.  Press with your hands to make the thickness even, about 1/4 inch thick.  Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. Remove from the fridge, and lift parchment or wax paper off the cookie sheet and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into little squares or whatever bites you like.  

4. You can store these in the fridge, or even on the counter in an airtight container.  The coconut butter keeps it shape well, even at room temperature.  And this time of year our houses are on the cooler side.  Enjoy!

(Inspired by a review of Cooking to Heal by Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet, I have made this "fudge" a few times.  It is very light, very nourishing, and kid-friendly.  My kids love it.  I have changed it a little, mostly to incorporate more coconut oil and achieve a smoother feel.)

Joyous Almond Cups

Whenever I make these peanut butter cups I always end up making these Almond Joy-esque cups as well.  I use the same mini cupcake pan, the same spot in the freezer to freeze the two layers, and we end up with two flavors of cups to choose from for a sweet, but nourishing treat.  This recipe is my version after being inspired, as usual, by a recipe from Kimi over at The Nourishing Gourmet.

Even more so than the peanut butter cups, these joyous almond cups have a lot of coconut oil incorporated into the recipe.  Coconut oil has many benefits.  Coconut oil has a lot saturated fat.  But don't fear.  This saturated fat is good for you.  Yes you read that right.  The saturated fat in coconut oil is comprised of medium chain fatty acids, 50% of which are the fatty acid lauric acid.  Medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested, reducing strain on the liver, pancreas, and digestive system.  Coconut oil benefits a sluggish thyroid by this same logic: it takes less energy to digest coconut oil, freeing up your thyroid to heal and function better.  Coconut oil helps with energy levels and weight loss.  Coconut oil heals you from the inside out.

So when you wonder why I go through all the trouble of researching coconut oil, finding different kinds of coconut oil, and then incorporating it into my diet despite my lack of love for it's flavor, this is why.  I feel better when I have it in my daily diet.  I know the science behind it and am more than happy to have it's help healing my body.

Now let's get back to the treat part.  I make these either with or without chopped almonds.  Sort in the vein of sometimes feeling like a nut...But when I do add the nuts I make sure they are from my soaked and dehydrated stash.  Soaking nuts overnight in salt water helps neutralize the naturally-occuring enzyme inhibitors present in most nuts.  Then dehydrating them returns them back to their crispy state.  The almonds I used in this recipe were soaked, dehydrated, and then toasted for 20 minutes at 300 degrees just to bring out their flavor a little before I chopped them and added them in.

Joyous Almond Cups

coconut base:

1/2 cup gently melted coconut oil

1/4 cup gently melted raw honey

1 1/4 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds, preferably soaked and dehydrated, then toasted for 20 min. at 300 degrees

chocolate topping:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons raw honey

3/4 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon coffee liqueur

1. Make coconut base: Combine melted coconut oil and raw honey.  Whisk well to combine.  Add shredded coconut and almond extract.  

2. Using a small ice cream scoop, divide among 24 mini cupcake molds.  Sprinkle each one with a little of the chopped almonds, dividing evenly.  Place in the freezer on a level surface for 30 minutes to harden.  

3. In the meantime, make chocolate topping: combine cocoa powder, honey, and coconut oil in a glass bowl set over simmering water.  Whisk until coconut oil is almost completely smooth.  Remove from heat and continue whisking, adding vanilla and coffee liqueur.

4. Remove frozen coconut bases, and spoon a little of the chocolate topping on each cup.  Place back in the freezer for another 30 minutes until frozen and set.  

5. To remove, pop out with a spoon or butter knife immediately after removing from the freezer.  Store in the freezer, or else they will melt.  To eat, I like to remove from the freezer and let sit for a few minutes to soften.  Enjoy with cold, whole raw milk, yum!

(cross-posted at k-land)

Peanut Butter Cups

I love these peanut butter cups.  I made them last February for R for Valentine's Day.  I wrote the other day about looking for candy for Christmas at the store, but coming up empty.  Even in my compromising mindset I couldn't find anything that would work.  So I am making a few different candies and confections to help satisfy M's and E's sweet teeth on that magical morning.

But back to the peanut butter cups.  I have tweaked the recipe just a bit.  I watch Ina Garten on the Food Network quite a bit, and on her show Barefoot Contessa she occasionally shows how she tests recipes.  Ever since she explained how chocolate is enhanced by a little bit of coffee I have been paying attention to how she pairs them in different recipes.  She says that you do not end up tasting the coffee, but the chocolate tastes better.

Sometimes she uses leftover brewed coffee, sometimes it's instant coffee or espresso granules, and sometimes it's coffee liqueur.  I have Kahlua, so I have used that recently in any chocolate recipe I make.  I just eyeball between a teaspoon and a tablespoon.  I don't know enough about how they make instant coffee crystals to use them confidently, and I don't brew coffee at home.  (The caffeine affects my adrenals and such.)

Oh, and one last thing: after I use up the natural peanut butter in the jars in my fridge I want to make my own peanut butter.  It's very handy to have peanut butter around, so I think it's worth the trouble to soak peanuts in salt water, dehydrate them and then put them through the food processor.  The point of doing all of that is to avoid the enzyme inhibitors present in peanuts and nuts in general.  The soaking process neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors, helping you to not only digest them better but absorb more nutrients from the nuts.

Peanut Butter Cups

peanut butter base:

3/4 cup natural peanut butter, preferably from soaked and dehydrated peanuts

1/4 cup gently melted coconut oil*

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup chopped nuts, preferably soaked/dehydrated/roasted at a low temperature (300), optional**

chocolate topping:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon coffee liqueur

1. Mix peanut butter and coconut oil together until smooth, using a rubber spatula.  Add honey and vanilla and stir until smooth.  Using a small ice cream scoop, divide among the 24 mini cupcake molds in a mini cupcake pan.  Put into the freezer for 20 minutes or so while you make the chocolate topping.

2. In a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stir chocolate, honey, vanilla and coffee liqueur with a wooden spoon until almost smooth.  Remove from the pot and set onto a hot pot holder while you continue to stir until completely smooth.

3. Remove mini cupcake pan from freezer and spoon chocolate mixture onto each peanut butter cup, smoothing a little with the back of a spoon.  Place back into the freezer until solid, about 20 minutes or more.

4. Remove with a spoon or butter knife.  They should pop out with a little elbow grease, as long as they are completely solid.  If they mush together at all, put them back into the freezer for a few minutes and try again.  Store in the freezer until you want to eat them.

5. To eat, I like to take a few out and let them rest on a plate for a few minutes to soften.  And, of course, my favorite way to eat them is with a cold glass of whole, raw milk.  Enjoy.

*You can use virgin coconut oil (which will taste like coconut), or expeller-pressed coconut oil (which will have neutral taste).  I prefer the expeller-pressed, but I have tried it both ways and the coconut flavor does work in this recipe.

**(I didn't add these, E can't chew them very well; he choked on a swiped cashew yesterday when I wasn't looking, scary!)

(cross-posted at k-land)