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...
  

Mostly Vegetable Cordon Bleu (dairy free w/out the cheese)

So yummy. And although it wasn't the prettiest ever, it was still pretty enough I wish I'd taken a picture before we ate every speck of it! I made this up in the middle of a hot streak of good dinners that everyone ate to the last bit. In this case, I was thinking that the chicken cordon bleu on a show was just too much meat and not enough veggie. I've been looking for ways to eat Bok Choy and Collards because they are "on the list" of desirable greens. They are 'super' high in Calcium - way more than milk- and are also low in Oxalic acid (oxalate) that interferes with mineral absorption and can cause problems (if not broken down by including fermented foods).

1. Fry a few pieces of bacon OR slices of ham with some palm shorting/coconut oil/butter (the oil/fat helps the flavor permeate the whole dish)
   
2. Slice two large onions into long somewhat narrow pieces.
3. If you are using raw chicken add small pieces or long strips to the pan. Salt, Pepper and garlic powder would be nice.
   
4. Add the sliced onion, and lightly salt and pepper, after you have cooked the first side and flipped the bacon/ham
5. Long slice Bok Choy and any other vegetables you feel inclined to add (mushrooms might be good). Add more butter if needed or just for yummyness.
   
6. When the onions have softened and are translucent add the white (lower portion) of the bok choy
7. I used left-over chicken which I chopped into bite size pieces and added it in time to heat through.
   
8. When the bok choy has started to lose it's crispness add the green portion of sliced Bok Choy and any other shorter time cooking vegetables (I used collard greens, but I imagine some purple cabbage would be worth trying)
9. The best part is the finishing step. I sliced thick slices of New Zealand Jack or Cheddar (whiter choices would be nice) cheese all over the top. It is strong sharp cheese (and Australian/New Zealand cheese is always grass fed = K2 etc.) I can find some at my Trader Joe's and Walmart. When the cheese is melted Either stir it up a bit so the cheese and buttery moisture is all mixed like a sauce or Serve it so it is still mostly on top and visible.
   
10. If dairy free, add olive oil and extra herbs, maybe some citrus juice... think wilted salad maybe.
    

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.

Parmesan-Crusted Grilled Cheese Sammies

We all know how to make a basic grilled cheese sandwich, bread plus cheese plus butter grilled in a pan.  But wow are these fancified grilled sammies yummy!  Hat tip to my sister, who makes the best crispy parmesan creations ever :)

Parmesan-Crusted Grilled Cheese Sammies

from T-Nee, my sister

2 slices of sprouted whole grain bread, like at Trader Joe's (they have several kinds--I buy the organic kind with no soy on the ingredient list)

slices of raw cheddar cheese

grass-fed butter, like Kerrygold

parmesan cheese, grated with a microplane

garlic powder

dried oregano

dried basil

1. Heat an empty cast iron skillet on medium heat while you get your sandwich ready.

2. Butter a thick layer on to each piece of bread (remember that you need the fats to digest the grains!).  Sprinkle with parmesan and press to make it stick well.  Sprinkle with a little garlic powder, oregano and basil.  Then build the sandwich carefully in the pan with the cheddar in the middle.  

3. Lower the heat to low, and cover pan with a lid.  Grill until the parmesan is browned and crispy, and the cheddar is melting.  Then flip and grill the other side to match.  Serve with tomato soup, or in my case tonight: roasted red-pepper and tomato soup from, you guessed it, Trader Joe's!

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)

Whole Sprouted Grain Bread

I did it, I made sprouted yeast bread that was yummy! THREE TIMES! ... in a row!!
This is my new record for yeast bread! I am only hoping for a little more height next time.

Here's the recipe amounts for 2 loaves. courtesy of Nourished Kitchen Blog (THANK YOU)

4 1/2 C Sprouted Wheat Flour (see (future) post)
2 1/4 C Whole Milk (I have been using water with the 1/4 being the milk)
1/4 C Honey (I've been doing half that)
2 tsp unrefined Sea Salt (redmonds)
1 package Yeast (2 1/2 tsp from the big bag in the freezer - I think I will be halfing this soon to see what happens)
Extra flour for kneading (I think this is because her dough is so wet - I use my bosch to mix and knead it so I haven't needed any extra flour)
2 Tbl cream to baste the bread ( I got my hands really wet and wet the tops of the loaves, then put coconut oil or palm on my hands and greased it a bit - mine get plenty brown already and this is easier to spread to keep the top moist (allows it to rise up before drying out))

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.

Homemade Cookie Crust

I created a Replacement for (thick) graham cracker crust!!:
(First attempt - it was yummy! - I also had a few Tbls of arrowroot powder, but I did not include that here as it appears to be unnecessary)

1 1/3 C (sprouted) whole grain flour (I imagine nuts would be good too as this is similiar to the curd crust)

1 1/3 C shredded unsweetened coconut

2/3 C brown sugar, sucanat, rapadura, (honey?)

2/3 C butter, room temp

bit of salt

don't add sugar/sweetener if coconut is sweetened.

Mix, thoroughly and mash into bottom and sides of pan.

I then baked/broiled (super hot + top heat) mine for about four minutes until it started to fluff up and just barely start to show spots of turning golden brown. This could be done while the oven is preheating.

Pour filling in and bake as filling recipe requires.

(I did put a cookie sheet of water on the rack below the pan to help insure the bottom did not burn,
but I was being careful since this was an experiment but I didn't want my whole cheesecake ruined.
-- I have a convection fan in my conventional oven)

The cheesecake recipe follows and the two together is fantastically yummy; great textures too!

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)

Basic Rich Crackers

These are the basic crackers I make on a pretty regular basis for our family. They are made with four simple ingredients: butter, yogurt, flour, and salt. You combine, cover and soak overnight, then roll them out in the morning, cut and bake them. Simple as that, and you get all the benefit of whole foods, properly prepared.

To start with, freshly ground flour that has been soaked to rid it of phytic acid is very healthy. Not to mention the vitamin K2 from the butter if it is grass-fed, and the probiotics found in good quality whole milk yogurt. Even the salt is beneficial if you choose a high quality salt full of trace minerals, such as Celtic sea salt.

I like to use Kerrygold Irish Butter from Trader Joe's because it is the best price I have found. I also get my yogurt from Trader Joe's, or I make my own from whole raw milk. I haven't tried it yet, but since I have milk kefir around, I wonder if I could use that in place of the yogurt in this recipe.

They are delicious with raw cheese and organ meat sausage (like Braunschweiger, yum!). But enjoyed all by themselves they are still lovely. They are very similar to Cheez-its I think.

Basic Rich Crackers

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 1/2 cups freshly ground whole grain flour (I have used spelt and whole red winter wheat, both with good success)
2 teaspoons sea salt

1. Cream yogurt and butter together. Add flour and salt and stir to combine.
2. Cover with a towel and a plate, find a warm place to soak 12-24 hours (or overnight).
3. After the soaking period, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. At this point you can add any herbs, cheeses, or spices to your dough you might like to try. I have only attempted cracked pepper and parmesan cheese, but it was delicious! The possibilities are endless, but the crackers are truly delicious all on their own. Don't feel you need this step, it is optional.
5. Use white flour, sprouted flour, or arrowroot powder (because each of these options have no phytic acid) to roll your dough out very thin. Use a pastry or pizza cutter to cut dough into small squares or rectangles.
6. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can put the crackers fairly close to each other, they do not spread. You can prick with a fork, but I have not seen much of a need for it.
7. Bake 8-12 minutes, checking every minute or so after 8 minutes have gone by to make sure they do not overbrown. You know the crackers are done when they are slightly brown on the edges and the middles of the crackers look drier.
8. Remove from baking sheet to cooling racks immediately, but be gentle so they do not break. Enjoy!

"Tollhouse" Chocolate Chip Cookies - My way

The same!,
except
upgrade the ingredients to a healthier version:

• whole grain sprouted flour (soak, no more tails than a tiny nub (pH) or they'll be fluffy, dehydrate, then grind)
• sucanat/rapadura (reduce by a 1/3 C)
• palm shortening

AND

• Add 1-2 Tbl water to make up for the whole grain (too much will make them spread and get grainy).
• I like a little molasses, but it's just a preference.
• Chilling the dough is a definite plus especially until the next day (but let it sit so you don't break/bend you spoon)
• I always seperate out some dough so that at least mine are chocolate free - I've got my amino acids so I don't even feel the addictive draw!
  

Canned Cream Soup ie. Basic Gravy, Soup, Sauce

It seems that this is a nearly forgotten art in the typical kitchen.
But given its simplicity, it could be your new favorite skill.
Once the basic technique is mastered you can adapt the skill to make amazing soups, gravies, and sauces of an astonishing array.

All you need is: a fat (lipid), flour, heat, liquid
With this you have the order and base for anything.

side note: Dried Mushroom
Your secret ingredient, that you can leave out or add in various amounts and will make you feel like a truly amazing artist, is Dried Mushrooms (esp. powder). With their concentrated flavor they give anything a more complex taste and with a larger amount, gives an authentic canned cream of Mushroom soup taste. They are from the same family as msg flavors and in a smaller amount just add an unidentifiable "yum" to your dish that is compatible with nearly anything and any vegetable.
Now you can make food at least as good as your favorite canned, bottled, and packaged foods... And besides feeling better, you might even like it better ;)

Basic Skill: Your Base for any Soup, Sauce, or Gravy

Butter, Olive Oil or Coconut oil
Salt, Pepper
optional: herbs, spices, &/or Kelp powder (which is flavorless if added very early)

Flour (&/or arrowroot powder)
Stock, Broth, Milk, &/or Cream
optional: mushroom (powder), veggies, cheese (at the end of the cooking time)

In a pan, melt a fat such as butter, sprinkle with flour. Cook gently for just a few minutes As you add initial seasonings. When it starts to dry out or it starts to change color, add a liquid. Stir and allow to thicken. Add any additional liquid, salt and seasoning (flavor will weaken when with a dish.)

Be sure to 'cook' the flour before adding (the bulk of) liquid or you'll think I'm crazy....
Arrowroot powder is gluten free, but has other differences as well. It has no taste and loses it's thickening ability if cooked for too long, so it is added near the end of the cooking time and the flavor will be a bit lighter.
See side recipe card

Basic Skill: Bone Broth

Bones (such as chicken bones)
vinegar or Lemon Juice

clean water (filtered)
optional: Onion, herbs, seaweed

Put chicken bones in pot, Cover with water, Pour a bit of vinegar or lemon juice in, Add a chopped onion (optional: herbs, celery, tasteless seaweed..), Turn on heat and bring to a boil, Spoon off any foam. Lower heat and Simmer for 8-12 hours (or in a crock pot works great), Add water if needed to keep bones covered. Turn off heat. Allow it to cool, then Strain and put the liquid in the fridge, freezer, or a jar... Done.

Use in any sauce, soup, or add a little salt and drink straight for an amazing feeling -yum. For more Info see Broth is Beautiful

End side note
Here's the long wordy rendition:
-broken into so many steps just so that you have break points!:

1. Put your fat in the pan a couple Tbs will do a whole pot - you can pour in olive oil, chunk in some butter, or dollop some coconut oil in. Turn on the heat and Move it around to get it all spread out quickly and melted.
2. Sprinkle across the oil an equal or greater amount of a flour. I've used lots of types of flours, so I imagine any flour will work. By sprinkling it across (even if it's a thick layer) then it gives it a head start in the cooking of the flour. If you just dump the flour in, you then have to stir it all together with your fat and then spread it out again. It's not bad, but you'll end up adding your broth/water right away to get it cooking and it will take a wee bit longer to make sure it is all cooked through.
   
3. If you continue to cook the flour until it is brown, before adding the liquid, then it creates a whole different flavor and color (think: brown gravy!)
   
4. Just let it cook for a few minutes, stirring it or adding liquid only if you need to. This is essentially a roux - see?! you are amazing! Have water handy to add in at a moments notice if you see your flour is burning or just needs it right away. Never walk away at these early steps! This is how I discovered that step 5 is best next.
   
5. Add your base seasonings: Salt, Black pepper, any green ones (such as basil, rosemary, bay,...), kelp powder, garlic/onion powders and your cloves/allspice... The flavors will penetrate through the whole dish but as a base foundation/depth and subtle direction. You will need to use them again (except for kelp since it would not have time to turn tasteless) near the end of cooking for them to be flavors that you taste and possibly recognize.
6. Add your liquid a little at first, and then increasingly more until it is half as much as you're total amount, allowing it to simmer the whole time. If additional thickening is needed, this is a good time. Arrowroot powder is great since it's thickening properties actually cook out if it is cooked too long, but is competely tasteless and so would not have to be cooked longer as more flour would. Taste test before adding milk/cream and again after - this will better tell you what you need to add now and will teach you how much salts and other seasonings to add in the future creations. Even if it is a creamy milky dish as the end goal, I use broth and/or water at the beginning. Milk products get a skim if brought to a boil, so if you are doing a fancy dish then don't let you pot boil once you've added any milk or cream.
   
7. By the end, your total combination of broth, (oh, delicious, nourishing, gelatinous broth!), stock, pan drippings, butter, milk, cream, and any combinations of those, are what will give the base the direction it is to go.
8. The limitless possibilities of vegetables & herbs & spices & even cheese that you have on hand are what put the potentially innumerable number of finished dishes on different continents.

Amazing, isn't it? .....that that is all it takes to never have to buy a canned soup, gravy envelope, or pasta sauce again!
link to: ingredient breakdown from product label such as Cream of Mushroom soup

Soy

Soy products should be avoided nearly entirely. There are some that feel that the benefits outweight the negatives, but I find that the mineral sucking properties are far too disportional. Our Modern food supply and diet choses are far too deficient and out of proper ratio in minerals to add such a potent destabilizer to the mix. And if that was all, then sure maybe it could be balanced out, but then there is the hormone issue. How many of us actually can "measure" our hormones to choose foods that balance our estrogen levels? or even could say we are "balanced" and our bodies don't affect our daily moods and health? Well, Soy has a potent affect on our hormones as well. I'd rather stick with a diet of a wide variety of plant foods that will result in a more balanced effect.

The rare addition of soy lecithin is the extent of soy in my kitchen pantry unless it is highly fermented such as in a proper soy sauce.

Often it is a simple switch to a more healthy option. If the ingredient list has hydrogenated, then it is bad, without a doubt, now we simply decrease our products purchased of those that list soy.
In nearly every food product, this exchange is returning the food item to how it was made previous to the soy industry's climb to power. Simple and freeing!

MSG

Written out as Monosodium Glutemate, msg is just an addicting, physically damaging processed chemical. Cheap and addicting are good for profits, but not good for people. There is plenty of internet reading regarding the dangers and effects of MSG and the related chemicals. MSG is just the most commonly used tag line. MSG can go by many names and variations that can go by different names, as well as similar chemicals; all of these are neurotoxins. The many possible symptoms can vary from person to person. However it is a neurotoxin in every individual, meaning it damages or kills the brain neuros in humans.
Generally speaking, it is bad for everyone but the effects for many are subtle or ignorable because it is something that has become "normal" to feel. For some, at some point in their life, they may begin to have headaches that they can't trace to a cause, Others may feel sick or even others label it as an allergic reaction. In others, unfortunately often in our unsuspecting children, the symptom or reactions are more intense than they are even in their own parents' bodies.

As an ingredient, MSG is mimmicing a taste family (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and the msg family is a kind of savory) this family includes Mushrooms, asparagus, and some seaweeds. You can add that "can't get enough of it taste" that Msg gives by using mushrooms, asparagas, or kelp powder in your foods. Even those that "don't like" these foods, will find they like what they were cooked in once they don't have a "mouthful" of it. So use dried mushroom powder or add chopped mushrooms at the very beginning of cook time, and/or add a sprinkling of kelp powder when you salt during cooking time and the most discerning of taste testers will be unlikely to turn away.

For an eye-opening moment, See these pages for lists of alternate names to avoid in the ingredients labels and foods that contain it without being listed.

For those who are highly sensitive, extra caution is needed. Nearly every soy product could cause reaction as well as other highly processed foods. For example, Gelatin (such as jello) is so highly processed that it can have a measure of neurotoxicity as well.

Also, companies, sadly, either ignorantly (such as those who unknowingly do so by using 'cheap' soy sauce) or when attempting to "hide" their use of msg use lesser known names or less potent versions such as Autolyzed Yeast Extract. These are not necessarily less damaging, but when asked if they "use msg" then they can say "no". :(