Water

I decided that a post about water should be in included here.

• Water is one of the basics that we depend on. It is needed for every function in our body for life; It is needed for the delivery of life and the removal of death.
  We need water to mobilize everything in the body and in our over toxic world, it may be the most important thing we intake for long term health.
• It is a basic need that should be considered during problem solving as well. ( I have __________ symptom.  Maybe it is because of ________? SEE link to book/site Water Cure. "You're not sick, you're thirsty" --  And I can vouch for his saying that a symptom of chronic thirst is lack of the sensation of feeling thirst. )
• There is a balance of water that needs to be maintained and balanced with the nutritional needs of the body.  Typically people just plain don't drink enough, but as metabolic needs ebb and flow in your body, you may need to be cautious about when and how much you drink.... Just remember adding more water to a soup thins it out - at some point it is too much, but without enough, then it isn't even soup.  (sugar and salt balances in the body needs to be maintained - sometimes a can of coconut water is in order ....times of day make a difference too.)
  On the simple view for improved decision making:
  drink (wet your mouth), then drink some more ("ehh, that's enough" = crossing the threshhold from chronic habits), then drink some more ("oh! that feels better" = finally getting enough), and then drink more (ok, now I feel topped off and my body is getting used to the new feeling so that I can always drink the sufficient amount), And then the "true not-feeling-like" drinking more.
• The type of water is often brought up.... This kind of filtering or that, etc. Really, as long as it is clean, then it is water. Sanitation is number one - An area where the only water source is downstream from an open 'toilet' is not clean water.  If there were an emergency, then clean water would become a focus.
  However, for a lifetime of drinking the "other" stuff in the water starts being a bit more important than basic survival.  Heavy water is heavy because of an abundance of mineral and other substance dissolved in water.  Remember making crystals it had to be a super saturated solution. Water can hold A LOT.  And not all of that is equal. Nor are we trying to grow crystals especially of only one type in our bodies! (that would be called a stone.  :) ~~~ )
• Depending on how far you have delved into the world and it's energies this subject can be very short or very long.  I don't think this is the place, nor do I have the time to attempt a summary.  Suffice it to say that, at the very least, everything has electric charge (remember the periodic table of elements and electrons?) and this applies to water, what is in it, and the abilities it would have in your body.   And be grateful for the water you are so blessed to have!
• Side note on Fluoride - here's is a link to update what you've heard about fluoride in water - remember if we go to a someone and offer to buy their trash, they will probably sell it to you. (even if you are of the mind that it is needed for your teeth, then remember that it is sold as rat poison because rats don't swoosh and spit... my suggestion is to at least stop eating and swallowing fluoride, minimize it to the one area you feel it would have a less negative effect on the whole body/thyroid, etc and remember that detoxing from fluoride is NOT pretty, but eating seaweed over time will help with a slow detox and an increase in health, energy, beauty, and organ capabilities.)
• A lot of the different nutrition and health 'Dr. Greats' I have read about and learned from in recent  years say that distilled is best.  Minerals are best for our body when integrated in a nutrient dense food.  Water is best when it is NOT super saturated.  It is meant to transport life and death in our bodies remember?  So a water that is, for example 50% saturated already has only 50% capacity to carry things in your body. Distilled water is ~100% open and active, ready to satisfy all your transportation needs at top capacity.  :)  If you are trying to absorb minerals better then make your tea and take your supplements such as min66 with distilled water!
• [some of]  My new habits,.... :)
  I have been drinking a full glass (try for over 2 cups) of distilled water in the morning a few moments after I finish oil pulling.  Then Wait a moment, (my body feels the difference) and then drink a full glass of our regular filtered water.  It is very refreshing and then, And only after having water do I eat anything. 
  Other alternatives: Even if you don't do the cleansing routine of oil pulling, and just the distilled OR even just straight water before eating, then you are giving your body a great boost right at the start of the nights "fast" that you are breaking.   
• Drinking before eating gives your body a chance to rehydrate before having to start the work of digestion.  Trying to transport enzymes, bile, and nutrients from digestion before hydration would be a laborious and sluggish process compared to a free flowing vibrant flow of hydrated liquids.
  The other reason I choose to do this in the morning is because our bodies are in cleaning mode in the morning (Chinese medicine I think it was) is from 6am to noon. (and from what I understand and believe is happening all night. I think a lot of emotion and mental, is "dealt" with during night/sleep.) 
  An evidence to this that I've experienced is the fact that Oil pulling only works if you have allowed any food or water to even touch your lips - If I wash my face and get my lips wet (lips are part of the mouth = food/water contact with your mouth tells the digestive system to get ready, enzymes rush to the mouth etc) before I oil pull then it doesn't even work as well, if at all.  (If I do forget, I try to pull my lips in to keep them dry as soon as I remember and it seems to work ok.)
  Once we start eating then we start digesting.  Eating processed foods in the morning puts even more energy and effort into digestion relative to their level of processing (junk food is not food, there is just junk or food....). The more raw, then the more enzymes and "self digestion" can happen, the less raw (more processed) then the more your body has to put into digesting it.  Same with whole foods vs processed/stripped foods.

Detoxing

I've been reading and learning a lot about Herbs from Dr. Christopher's [site]  - but I also made a nice chart for someone that I thought I'd share here. :) Sorry, I haven't found a way to inbed a chart in this new Blogger programing... so this is just a bulleted list.

Eating good food, changing old habits for new ones, and healing create beneficial cell turn-over and removal of lesser and/or toxic substances.  So, sometimes when we get the chance, or make the time in the evening - a detox bath helps out -  even just soaking the feet is very beneficial.  Anything to take the trash out :)

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

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY - APPLE & PEAR TREES

The company we ordered our apple trees from last year is sold out

HOWEVER,

this company is doing a
very exciting,
amazing preservation
of HUNDREDS
OF ANTIQUE & HEIRLOOM VARIETIES
by offering the same method of apple trees at the same amazing price:

Please read below - the text is copy and pasted from their website:
http://www.wagonwheelorchard.blogspot.com/

Benchgrafts still available for 2012 – Please order soon, our rootstock is getting reserved. We will be grafting in late February through late April. When the rootstock runs out we will stop taking orders. We have a 10 tree minimum and no maximum. Please give us plenty of alternate choices in your orders as scion stock is starting to dwindle.

Below is the complete 2012 benchgraft list. It does contain an entire inventory of several orchards – please note we will not graft apples or pears still under patent.

This is the most extensive list ever offered for custom grafting antique apples. Check our previous post for the pear list. Most likely you will never see such an offering again.

Please check your local rules regarding shipping in apples and pears.

Many of the varieties listed below will only be available for 2012 - please consider ordering additional trees to preserve these endangered apples and pears. One of our heroes, Nick Botner is retiring and his collection needs to be preserved (he currently has his massive orchard and home for sale) - the only way to ensure that is to get these fruit trees backed up in as many locations as possible. The list below is an inventory and benchgraft list only - we cannot supply scionwood from this list at our normal prices. We will pay on average $5.50 a stick from this list and then buy scionwood to graft to at a $2.00 average - then we will absorb shipping/handling/insurance costs to deliver them to you at $10/tree with a 10 tree minimum. We are primarily concerned with preservation of this collection - if you would like to swap or purchase scionwood please email us at wagonwheelmail@aol.com or call us at 913-893-6050.


Mail a check with a summary of your order to Wagon Wheel Orchard 15380 Edgerton Rd Gardner KS 66030. First requested/first fulfilled - please do not wait until last minute! We will be shipping in late March to early April or as weather permits.

Questions? - email wagonwheelmail@aol.com

GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR THEIR LIST OF hundreds! of APPLE (AND PEAR) TREES AVAILABLE

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.

Good, Better, Best?: Targeting the BEST (links still to be added)

In my efforts to balance "good, better, best" with a budget, availability (which is actually usually based on effort one is willing to exert = pray for strength to do your part in improving health) and practical time use, I am constantly having to make choices.

I believe that all of the foods we use here are great foods! And the possible edible nourishing creations are endless. YUM! :)

However, I have drafted a list; based on my own opinion, drawn from what I have learned of certain whole foods and their applications in our bodies as well as their value and potency in what we have available to us.

If we implement these SUPER foods in our daily meals,
regardless as to any other changes we make,
then we will have a higher quality and amount of benefit
to balance the percentage that is less ideal...
Am I making sense?

Below is my list of SUPER Whole Foods.
Using this, I have created a label called "SUPER Foods". The recipes with this label are more super than not because they contain a higher ratio of these particular foods than of foods that are not the.... superest... in that recipe! :)

THE "SUPER FOODS" LIST!:

(links are to where the cheapest source I know of--- A local farmer or coop/store may have a better price in your area - such as all grass-fed beef cuts/bones.)

• Fermented cod liver or skate liver oil
• Raw butter oil
• "Blend" (those two combined)
• Butter 1,2, OR (if you are off dairy) clarified butter or ghee
  
• Coconut oil (I use flavor/scentless expeller pressed) and/or Palm Shortening
• Broth made from Bones (or grass fed raw milk in season)
  
• Organs -- grass fed
• Grass-fed, in the pasture, animal fats (and gelatin) with any meats
  
• Eggs from soy-free, GMO-free, free ranging, omnivorous healthy birds
  
• Sauerkraut - naturally fermented (and other naturally fermented foods)
  
• Seaweed such as Kelp, (selected because they add no noticed taste by the most discerning seafood haters.) and wild seafood in general. oh, The bounty of the sea!
  
• Bok Choy, Kale, Collards, Dandelion Greens (any easily found greens!, but these are Calcium superstars and low in Oxalic Acid see chart in book)
• Chia (Soaked with lots of water)
• Amaranth, Buckwheat (better if sprouted or soaked)
• Sprouted and/or soaked whole grains and legumes (so many beans!), whichever ones work for you.
• A variety of every color of fruit, vegetable, herb,... of every plant you can grow in your garden or entice yourself to eat. Eat your rainbow. Try Heirloom, or even older! Our modern world has shared its variety and bounty as it has grown so small.
  
• Onions and garlic have to be included as their own. I think every continent's people have utilized them to make their food edible since the beginning, and when I try to count up their wonderful properties, then they are simply one of my favorite foods.
  

All plant foods are, of course, more beneficial if grown free of chemical 'additives' such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, etc. This is made possible, in large part, if they are grown in a soil/compost rich in nutrients and biodynamic benefits. (See Dirt, the Movie for an introduction to soil and entertaining portrayals; Botany of Desire:plant selection. both are on Netflix)
When plants are fed richly in an environment that does not kill either the amazing microorganisms or the visible little critters around and especially in the soil, then these plants are fed by intricate and galactic alterations that are overwhelmingly abundant and largely still unexplored. This kind of husbandry makes for a strong, complex plant internally that gives it a strong resistant to previously destructive pests and plagues AND give us the amazing taste and nutritiously beneficial experience that we all wish for. (think of GGr'pa's home grown tomatoes or the best strawberry or apple you ever had, lettuce that actually tasted GOOD, potent herbs, and good quality essential oils) One term for this is High Brix.

Healthy animal products should be consumed by us only when they are eating 100% growing pasture or wild forage (wild seafood,...).

For the SUPER, SUPER example; A healthy cow eats grass, but during the winter may have to eat cut/stored hays. So the ideal products are those obtained once the cow has once again returned to eating grass for more than a week. These meats and organs are significant in their CLA, K2 and other notable Fat oriented nutrients as well as beautiful characteristics demonstrating other nutrients such as a delicious bright yellow butter (with a lower melting point) or splendidly flavored meat flesh. Naturally, the organs would be more desirable as well.
Spring butter has been considered sacred by the nearly by-gone Mountain Swiss people for centuries because of it's being so exceeding and particularly beneficial.

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...
  

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.)